


T.J. and Marty Get Fired Up

by lesbigaygf



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cheer camp, F/F, F/M, Fired Up! AU, Kippen Twins, M/M, Trans Marty (Andi Mack), a lot of swearing I guess, platonic tarty, slow burn kinda, take a shitty homophobic movie from ur childhood....make it gay!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-09-23 17:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20343901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbigaygf/pseuds/lesbigaygf
Summary: “This is the perfect opportunity for me to meet, like, a bunch of girls and get over Rachel. Think of how jealous she’ll be, dude. 300 girls.”“Go on your own, man; I don’t care about 300 girls.”“There’s probably dude cheerleaders there, too. Who knows, maybe you could land a boyfriend this summer”.Best friends TJ and Marty attend cheer camp with a plan: meet girls and ditch before the big competition.(Fired Up! AU)





	1. Best Friends

TJ Kippen was a basketball star, through and through. He genuinely loved the game; it gave him the focus and drive that he couldn’t seem to grasp in other aspects of school. All through middle school he was the star player, scaring off anyone who ever came for his spot. The only people he ever let his guard down for were his mom and twin sister, Amber. Amber was a cheerleader for their team in middle school, the Jefferson Spikes, and continued to cheer for their high school team, the Grant Tigers. 

Once they got to Grant high school, TJ made his first real friend- Marty. Marty mysteriously sauntered into Grant at the beginning of the first year, a class clown who no one really knew anything about. Due to having a shared love of basketball, being someone for each of the boys to let their guards down to, and both being dumbasses, their friendship quickly thrived. Soon enough, TJ wasn’t so scary anymore.

It was the last Friday before summer break. The two best friends were walking to their classes, laughing and joking on the way, when they were interrupted.  
  
“TJ, hey!” A pretty redhead girl had her eyes zoned in on TJ, and was quickly advancing towards him and Marty.  
  
In a panicked tone, he whisper-yelled: “Name? Name? Marty, name?”  
  
And, like clockwork, Marty supplied: “Jennifer”, seconds before she arrived in front of the boys.  
  
“Jennifer, hey!” TJ greeted.  
  
“Are you going to the bonfire tonight?” she asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.  
The whole grade was invited to a beach bonfire that night, to celebrate the basketball team’s most recent victory.  
  
“I am. I’ll see you there?”  
  
“Yeah, you will. We should, like, uh, I don't know, hang out, or something. Like, if you want”. Jennifer’s flustered demeanour made Marty laugh, while TJ remained oblivious.  
  
“Sure thing! See you later…” he paused for too long. An uncomfortable silence in the crowded hallway. _'Shit, what was her name'_, he thought. 'Name, name, name…'  
  
As if by magic, Marty whispered “Jennifer”, in TJ’s ear, followed by TJ saying “...Jennifer!” in the most awkward tone imaginable and quickly marching away with a laughing Marty in tow.

  


“Dude, just let her down easy, alright. Break it off now before she gets too attached”, Marty began, but his friend only gave him a confused frown as they walked to class. “She clearly has a crush on you!”  
  
“Pfft,” TJ responded. “She does not! We’re friends”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, good friends... What’s her name again?” TJ playfully shoved Marty. “I’m just saying, if you guys are just friends, then tell her, straight up, you don't like her…",  
Marty not-so-subtly inhaled and then said, in a strained voice: "...and then slide her my number?”  
TJ chuckled at Marty's failed attempt at being nonchalant.  
  
“Ah, so this was your plan all along, huh?”  
  
“Are you surprised? You’re practically swimming in girls you’re not even interested in. It’s bullshit! Meanwhile, they avoid me like the plague-”  
  
“They probably think you’re still with Rachel, dude” TJ interrupted, stopping when he met the door to his history class.  
  
“Ugh,” Marty remarked, as they finally went their separate ways. “Later”.  
  
“Later!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are super appreciated- let me know if you enjoy it! Give me the motivation to get it done quickly! I thrive on attention!


	2. The Bonfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys discover their upcoming basketball trip won't be what they expected and develop a new plan, for the summer.

Marty arrived at the beach bonfire fashionably late, the sky black and starry, the sound of waves barely audible over the teenage chatter. The cheerleaders talked excitedly, some doing lazy flips and tricks in the sand. He would never say it out loud, but he and TJ could do some of those cheer tricks with ten times the finesse of the Tiger’s cheer squad, due to the years of recording each other doing somersaults and basket tosses and lifts (that Amber informed them are known as “cupies”). 

He scanned the bonfire for his best friend, while joking and flirting with girls he passed on the way. He finally located TJ at the basketball team’s bonfire, resting his back against a log and staring into the sky. Marty raised his eyebrows at this.

“You falling asleep, princess?” TJ looked up at his remark, smiling. “This not enough fun for you?”  
“Guess not. Hey, wanna hear something shitty?”  
“Boy, do I!” Marty crouched down to TJ’s eye level.  
“Basketball camp has been extended. Four weeks now, not two.”  
“Jeez”.

Both the boys were dreading the upcoming basketball retreat in Daytona Beach. Four weeks of going through plays, shooting hoops, practice games, and more plays, and more practice games. As much as they loved basketball, they could hardly keep their eyes open when discussing this trip.

Christopher, a dark skinned boy sporting a number 2 on his jersey, swung into this conversation. “You guys pumped for Texas, or what?” he said, emphatically.

“Four weeks without girls, who wouldn’t be pumped” Marty responded with deadpan sarcasm.

“Texas?!” TJ was sitting up now, eyes bugging out of his head. “I thought camp was at Daytona beach?”

“Nah, El-Paso” Christopher’s excited manner deeply contrasted with the obvious disappointment radiating from the best friends. “It’s gonna be so hot, we’re gonna be sweating, hallucinating. I hear one in three people that go to El-Paso die of heat stroke”

At the same time as TJ saying “That can’t be true”, Marty yelled “HUH?!”

“Don’t fact check me, bro, I know my shit.” TJ scoffed, while Marty still appeared in shock. “You guys are coming to my cabin, for the after-camp party, right?”  
“Duh”, said Marty, still in his daze. “Wouldn’t miss it,'' said TJ. Christopher smiled and nodded, walking away to another part of the beach. 

The second he was out of earshot, Marty turned to TJ with panic in his eyes.  
“How am I gonna meet girls if I’m dead from heatstroke, TJ?” he yelled, incredulously.  
“You won’t die, and you won’t meet girls regardless”. TJ’s comment earned him a light smack, but both of them were too bummed about the trip to laugh. “This trip just went from bad to worse”. 

Marty nodded in agreement, when a conversation over at the cheerleaders’ bonfire caught both of their attention. They sat on the sand and hid behind the large log, eavesdropping on cheerleaders Natalie, Andi, Amber and Iris, who were gathered around their fire.

“You guys psyched for cheer camp?”, Natalie asked, with a gleaming smile.  
“You bet!”, Andi answered.  
“Totally”, Amber, TJ’s twin sister, responded seriously. “You know how Martin Luther King had a dream? Well, I do too, and it’s to kick ass at cheer camp.”

Under his breath, TJ exasperatedly whispered “Jesus Christ, Amber”, making Marty laugh quietly.

Amber continued: “And if that makes me shallow- fine! Call me, and Dr King, shallow”

“That doesn’t make you shallow, Amber.” Andi responded with the same strange seriousness, taking ahold of Amber’s hand. “that makes you real”.  
The two girls nodded and smiled at each other, while TJ and Marty watched the altercation with confused frowns.

“We have to do better than last year”, Natalie added.

“We could take a dump in our pants and still do better than last year” Iris exclaimed.  
“Ugh”, all the other girls made disgusted faces in unison.  
“What, I’m just sayin”

“But we’re much better this time around” Amber said happily.

“I don’t know, there are 300 girls up there, who want it just as much as we do-” Andi responded.

“-and who are much better than us” Iris added.

At this point, Marty had heard enough and had clocked out of this conversation. He turned to TJ and repeated: “300 girls...who want it just as much as we do...and are much better than us…”

TJ responded with a disinterested “Hm...”

“Teej…” Marty’s eyes and smile were impossibly wide.

“What?”

“We have to go”

“What? Go where?”

“That-- the, uh, the cheer thing. Cheer camp! We’re going to that”

TJ noticed that he was already greatly invested in this strange and nonsensical plan and began yelling “No, no, no, no, no we are not”

“Why not?” Marty continued smiling like a mad man. 

“First off, we can’t cheer-”

“Pfft, the Tiger’s can hardly cheer either.”

“-and we have plans. In Texas.”

“No offence, Teej, but I’d rather die than go to that.” To that, TJ gave a small nod. “We can work all that stuff out! Come on, TJ, please. For me?” TJ laughed at that. “This is the perfect opportunity for me to meet, like, a bunch of girls and get over Rachel. Think of how jealous she’ll be, dude. 300 girls.”

“Then go on your own, man; I don’t care about 300 girls.”

“No, I need you, man. You’re like my wingman!” TJ scoffed. Marty pulled on a sly smirk and added: “There’s probably dude cheerleaders there, too. Who knows, maybe you could land a boyfriend this summer”.

TJ rolled his eyes and whispered angrily: “Yeah, sure, Marty. And, after that, I’ll get ‘I’m gay’ tattooed on my forehead. Oh, and maybe I’ll perform a rendition of Born This Way, to the entire student body, how does that sound?”

“I can totally imagine that”, Marty snickered. TJ laughed and mumbled shut up.  
“Come on, Teej, I wanna spend the summer with my best friend. 300 girls and my best friend. In literally anywhere but El-Paso, Texas.” TJ let out a loud laugh, seemingly warming up to the idea.

“Grant doesn’t even have any dude cheerleaders” was TJ’s only argument.

“Uh, I beg to differ” Marty stood up, pulling TJ up with him, and extended his arm to point at a short brunette boy descending the wooden staircase onto the beach. He strolled towards the cheerleader’s bonfire and TJ let out a sigh. 

Of course, it had to be Cyrus. The same Cyrus he had a brief crush on in middle school. His first crush. His gay awakening was now going to be entangled in whatever plan Marty had up his sleeve. Great.

“Okay, one guy” TJ’s dismissive words did nothing to shake Marty’s enthusiasm.

“Go talk to him about joining the squad!” Marty was practically buzzing with energy.  
TJ’s face paled and his eyes went wild with shock and anger. “WHAT?”

“Go on, ask him if we can join”

Before TJ could get a word in edgewise, he was being shoved across the beach, towards the cheerleader in question. Unfortunately, he had been pushed with such force that he had skidded along the sand, to the cheerleader’s area. Now on the ground, sandy, embarrassed and receiving odd looks from the entire circle, TJ smiled up at Cyrus, who responded with a confused frown.

“Hey, Cyrus”.


	3. Go Tigers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ and Marty try to get a last minute spot on the squad.

“Hey, Cyrus”.

Cyrus stood in bewildered silence. Everyone was staring at TJ. A second passed. Three. Five. _‘Marty, this is so awkward, you’re dead’_, he thought.

Amber was the one to finally speak, in a cautious tone: “Hey, Teej… what you doin’ here?”

“I, uh…” he looked back at Marty, who gave him a vigorous thumbs up. “I wanted to talk to Cyrus about something.” The other cheerleaders stared, waiting for him to elaborate, but there was no way he would ask about this in front of a group of people, let alone including Amber. “...alone.” 

The girls got the hint and walked to other areas of the beach, occasionally stealing suspicious glances back at Cyrus and TJ.

“So, what’s up?” Cyrus began. He was just as chirpy as he was in middle school, with a voice just as uplifting, just with a much deeper tone. Prettier than ever. The awkwardness of middle school was barely visible on his face, and his looks were further complemented by the yellow light of the bonfire. TJ swallowed the lump in his throat, pulled himself together and started talking.

“I know it’s sorta last minute, but… well, Marty and I were wondering…”

Cyrus waited but TJ’s mind went blank. Was he really going through with this? He turned to Marty for help, but only received a series of giddy nods in return. He continued:

“...So, you’re on the cheer team, right?” An ice breaker. A gateway into the topic. 

Cyrus smiled. “Technically it’s a squad, not a team, but yeah, I am!” 

“That’s awesome!” TJ attempted to mimic Cyrus’ happy-go-lucky demeanour, to clear the awkwardness from the air. “How long have you been cheering?”

“Just since the beginning of high school. It’s, like, the only sport I can kinda, sorta do well”

“Only ‘kinda-sorta’?” TJ joked.

Cyrus groaned “Ugh, you should’ve seen me in 7th grade. I couldn’t even do a somersault without twisting my ankle. It was actually Amber that helped me with that stuff. Without her there’s no way I would be on the squad.” TJ did remember this. Amber would come home from spending the day with Cyrus, and laugh fondly as she talked about him slipping and squealing and falling on his face. TJ hung onto every word, electing to ignore the knowing looks from his sister and mother. 

“Well, I’m sure you’re great.”

“Oh, please. Even with Amber as my personal trainer, the Tigers are a disaster.”

TJ let out an involuntarily loud laugh at Cyrus’ honesty. “And how would your ‘squad’ feel if they heard you say that?”

“They’d be pissed,” he said seriously, earning another laugh. “Buffy would kill me,” _Who?_ “But you know it’s true. Don’t you see us at your games?”

“Uh…” TJ paused, hoping Cyrus wouldn’t be offended by him ignoring the cheering during their games. “...no. I’m kinda in my own head, when it comes to basketball. Gotta be focused on my own game. No distractions.”

Cyrus gave an impressed nod. Phew. “Well, that’s better than the rest of your team…” 

This was true. TJ didn’t have enough fingers to count the amount of times Marty had gotten distracted by various cheerleaders during games. Or even just girls in the bleachers. On one particular instance, before him and Rachel got together, Marty had called a time-out because a deaf girl watching the game, whose name TJ couldn’t remember, was attempting to sign her number to him from across the court. 

Then, Cyrus’ expression morphed into one of confusion. He continued: “So you don’t know me from cheering at your games? We have zero classes together. How do you even know I exist?” He laughed, clearly joking, not knowing the panic rising within TJ. 

“Uh…” he began, scratching the back of his neck. “I-I-I-I-”

“You’re taking too long!” Marty suddenly swung into their conversation, sitting on the log beside TJ, with Cyrus on the other end, looking at him with alarm. “Cyrus. We wanna cheer”

“Huh?”

“What?” Amber suddenly joined in from God-knows-where.

“Marty!” TJ yelled, infuriated with his best friend. 

“What?”

“I was getting to that!”

“No you weren’t.”

“You guys wanna cheer?” Cyrus asked, hardly believing what he was hearing.

“Since when?” Amber joined in.

“Since forever! We’d make great cheerleaders! Tell em, Teej!” Marty shoved TJ a little too hard, for encouragement, nearly pushing him to the ground for the second time that night.

“Oh, yeah, y’know…” TJ rubbed his shoulder, out of nervousness and the pain of Marty shoving him. “Go Tigers!”

Amber eyed them with suspicion. Cyrus paused before saying “I know you guys are athletic…”  
TJ realised this was Cyrus letting them down easy. If he said no, he probably wouldn’t get another chance to talk to him for the whole summer. Especially since we would be dead from heatstroke in El-Paso. No; he had to get on the team. Cyrus continued: “...but this is totally different-”

“We know,” TJ interrupted, suddenly gaining his confidence back. “We know it’s hard and it’s different from other sports, but that’s why we like it! Cheerleading is a real sport. It’s exciting and challenging and much more athletic than basketball, right Marty?”

“Right, right. No durr” _Marty what the fuck_

“We wanna go with you guys to cheer camp. Truth is… we love cheering.”

Both TJ and Marty wore sad expressions, both secretly contemplating whether they should consider acting as a career choice.

Before Cyrus could argue with them, Amber intervened: “It’s true.” TJ looked up in surprise. He said a silent thankyou to Amber and hoped she received it through their twin telepathy, or whatever. “You should see them after they win a game. They get so excited, they flip all over the place. I have some of their videos on my phone. They’re just goofing around, but it’s impressive”.

TJ waved a hand and mimed a ‘Pfft’, as if to stay humble and play it off as no big deal.  
Marty, on the other hand, nodded. _ Yeah, we’re pretty impressive. _

Cyrus looked stunned at this. And now, surrounded by three pairs of pleading eyes, said  
“That’s really cool guys! I had no idea you were so into cheering! But I don’t know what you expect me to do. I can put in a good word to Buffy, but cheer camp is next week and she’s not really the basketball team’s biggest fan…”

Cyrus and Amber started talking amongst themselves, debating the best way of getting the boys to camp without pissing off Buffy Driscoll. This gave TJ the perfect time to finally ask Marty:

“Who’s Buffy?”

Marty scoffed. “Captain of the cheer squad.” TJ nodded in acknowledgement, but knew he would forget the captain’s name in, like, a day. “Dude, why don’t you just learn more names?”

“It’s my dyscalculia.” he lied, shrugging with wide, pity-me eyes.

“Shut up, man, I know what that word means now. I’m not falling for that again”

They returned back to the conversation, noticing that Amber was greatly invested in getting TJ and Marty to this camp. Cyrus was even starting to agree that the boys coming would be for the best. 

“You and Buffy aren’t enough, we need some real muscle on the team to do the serious lifts. That’s how we’ll get onto the Panther’s level!”

Marty mouthed to TJ: “Panthers?”

TJ mouthed to Marty: “Muscle?”

“Exactly! Buffy’s bound to understand that!”

“But she doesn’t trust them. And she’s the captain. What she says goes.”

“Actually…” Amber seemed to have hatched a plan. “Bex is the coach. She decides who’s on the team.”

“She’s more of a chaperone than a coach-”

“But she still holds highest rank. I’ll talk to Bex,” she turned to the boys. “I’ll show her your videos. You will definitely be coming to camp with us.” Marty grinned in response.

“Sick!” he exclaimed. 

“I should still talk to Buffy,” Cyrus pointed out, worriedly. “I’m her best friend, I’ll warm her up to the idea.”

“We could just talk to her,” Marty offered, swinging an arm around TJ. “Where is she?”

“She’s not here.”

“She’s, like, always practicing.” Amber added. 

“Jeez” TJ and Marty said in unison. 

Amber shook them off and reassured them. “It’ll be fine. Cy will handle Buffy, I’ll talk to Bex. We’ll take care of everything, okay?”

They exchanged nods and thank yous, and a couple of strange fist-bumps from Marty, and went their separate ways. TJ looked back at Cyrus, who turned back to look at him in turn. They waved at each other and continued the rest of the night as if it was normal.

TJ almost forgot about the altercation. He thought it was a strange fever dream. 

That was until he woke on Saturday morning, to Amber blaring an air horn in his face.

“JESUS!” he exclaimed, his eyes barely open. “Amber, what the fuck?”

“Good morning, cheerleader” she gave him a devious smile.

“What?”

“You’re a cheerleader now, Jag. I spoke to Bex last night, at Andi’s and she said yes.”

TJ groaned, pushing himself out of bed and walking past Amber. “Okay. Cool. Great. That all?”

“Tell me why you suddenly wanna cheer, Teej. I do not believe you’ve just always found cheerleading ‘so much more athletic than basketball’” She mocked his voice, getting a frown from him in response.

“If you knew I wasn’t being serious then, why’d you help me?”

Amber paused, looking quizzical. “Tell me why you lied first.”

He shrugged, not getting the big deal. “Marty wants to meet girls, I want to get out of the basketball trip. It’s in Texas now.”

“Ew.”

“For four weeks.”

“Ew!” Amber repeated. “Okay, I understand. And I’ll help you stay on the team for the trip. I’ll even teach you guys a few more tricks, if you’re interested.”

“Yeah, that sounds great. Wow, thanks Amber-” he stopped, remembering who he was talking to. “-wait, what’s in it for you?”

She did a large shrug, huffed and crossed her arms. “I honestly think you guys could help us win the finals!”

TJ nodded… waited… waited…

She continued: “...and if I help you with this, I get to be in charge next time mom’s away.”

Ah. The truth.

“Sure, whatever. Thanks for this, Ambs.”

“It’s chill.” She began to leave his room, walking towards the kitchen for breakfast. She halted in the doorway, adding: “See you at camp… Tiger”, and sped away. 

He laughed incredulously, putting his head in his hands. What had he gotten himself into?


	4. The Bus Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ and Marty begin their journey to cheer camp. Marty reveals a truth to TJ. Buffy interrogates her new team mates. TJ continues to embarrass himself.

It was 6AM the following week when TJ found himself waiting outside of Grant for the bus to arrive and take him to cheer camp. As early as 6AM may sound, the basketball team left for El-Paso at 4:30, so… no, thanks. 

Marty hadn’t arrived yet, so, like many of the girls waiting for their friends, TJ was alone. He had a backpack lazily hung over his shoulder, full of necessities for the next two weeks (not including a uniform, which was apparently waiting for him at camp). He was sitting on the sidewalk, gazing around at the people he would be spending the next two weeks with. Most of the girls he recognised, but couldn’t remember any names (“Curse my dyscalculia!”, he would joke, if Marty were here, just to piss him off).

He spotted Amber and Andi chatting with exuberance, at the end of the street. On the other end, sitting together on a bench, was Cyrus and one of the cheerleaders, from the bonfire. The one that said that thing about the squad taking a dump in their pants. The one that made everyone go ‘ugh’ in disgust. Well, Cyrus didn’t look disgusted, that morning. Not one bit. They were talking animatedly and practically soaking in each other’s laughter. The girl would tease him and Cyrus would nudge her playfully with his shoulder, making TJ’s whole arm ache with how much he wished he were in her position. TJ stared from his spot on the sidewalk, well aware of how pathetic he looked. They look good together. 

He worried he said his thoughts out loud, because suddenly Cyrus was looking directly at him. He looked away quickly, but not quick enough. He cursed himself for letting his thoughts linger on some dumb crush he had in middle school. Middle school. Middle school was practically a lifetime ago and they barely even spoke. Cyrus probably hardly knew who TJ was.

“TJ!” he jolted up at the realisation that the boy in question was now much closer than before, on the sidewalk beside him. 

“Ah! Cyrus!” TJ yelped involuntarily, making Cyrus laugh. The sound of his laughter made something in TJ’s stomach swirl. _ Middle school, TJ, middle school! _

“You good?” he was staring into TJ’s eyes, as if searching for signs of trouble.

“I’m good. You excited?”

Cyrus nodded. “Excited. Nervous. There’s a LOT going on up here!” he pointed at his temple. 

“Oh, yeah? How much we talkin?” TJ was resting his head on his hand, while Cyrus was gesticulating wildly.

“Ohh, TOO much, buddy. My body was not built for this much stress. I had like a thousand dreams last night, most of which consisted of me losing control of my limbs, at the top of the pyramid, and flopping all over the grass!” 

“Any dreams with me in em?”

Cyrus’ eyes went wide and a red blush coated his cheeks. “Uh… let’s not get into that.” TJ laughed loudly, full of happy yet nervous energy. _What was THAT supposed to mean?_  
Cyrus continued, suddenly looking insecure: “Sorry, you probably think I’m like…” he made a silly face, held his hands up either side of his head and stretched his fingers out. “Blah! Or something.” He shrugged, looking down self consciously. 

“No, no,” TJ reassured. “I don’t think you’re… blah!” He mimicked Cyrus’ voice and expression, making him giggle. “I think you’re great... perfect... cool! Whatever!” Cyrus laughed again, and now it was TJ’s turn to be insecure. “I’ll stop talking now.” 

“Did you eat breakfast?” Cyrus jarringly asked.

“What? Uh- no, I had to skip-”

“You want a superfood?”

“Huh?”

It turns out, while TJ was busy making a fool out of himself, Cyrus was rooting through his bag for several tupperware containers full of food. One full of blueberries, another of kale, another of various nuts and seeds, and another of strawberries. Several yoghurt pots and protein bars were also poking out from his bag. 

“You should eat something. Like, because you missed breakfast and these are _super_ good for you- it’s in the name! Super-food! And, like, they’re full of antioxidants and stuff. So healthy.” TJ smiled with fond amusement. Cyrus’ caring nature was something he could get used to. “Plus, like, we probably won’t eat for hours- unless we pass a McDonald’s or something. And you don’t want that; their machines are all full of mould and shit, anyway.” There was a long silence, as TJ continued to stare at him. “TJ?”

“You’re gonna make a great father someday.” 

Cyrus’ eyes were like saucers and TJ slapped his hand across his mouth. _‘Holy shit, I did not seriously just say that out loud’,_ he thought.

“So, uh, you- uh-” Cyrus stumbled over his words. “You want a strawberry, or a yoghurt or somethin?” It seemed that Cyrus, now extremely red, had elected to ignore TJ’s comment; probably a good idea. TJ nodded, mumbled a ‘thanks’, grabbed a yoghurt and vowed to become a silent monk for the rest of his days. 

“Yooooooo!” Marty’s voice echoed as he bounded over. TJ took this opportunity to leap up and away from this interaction. Cyrus was now left alone to sadly stare at TJ running away and wonder what he did wrong. Marty and TJ raced over to each other, arms open for a giant hug. “What’s up beh-beh!” Marty yelled.

“What-it-do, babyyyy!” TJ wrapped his long arms around Marty’s back and swung him around like a rag doll. 

“You’re the worst.”

“I’m the love of your life, fucker!” TJ threw Marty in the air and caught him again, despite them being of similar weight and height. 

“Jeez, quit manhandling me, bitch!” Marty began to flail around, kicking and grabbing at his friend.

“You think this is manhandling? I’ll show you manhandling!” And they were off. TJ tackled Marty to the concrete, the two playfully scrapping like wild animals, yelling an obscenity at each other every so often. Cyrus’ yoghurt rolled away from them, ending up alone and forgotten by TJ, which made Cyrus’ heart twist for whatever reason. The other cheerleaders were giggling, watching the newcomers friendly fight. They were all giggling, except for Cyrus, who was sad, and Buffy, who was furious.

Buffy had arrived before anyone else, but sat alone to watch videos of various cheer routines and study their movement and technique. It was obvious that winning was important to her, way more important than having fun. And now she seemed to have two children play-fighting on her squad. Cyrus had tried to spend the past week warming her up to the boys, but Buffy doesn’t trust so easily.

When the bus arrived, the two boys finally lined up, with Buffy in front of them. They both had grazes on their knees from the fight, but nothing serious. In front of Buffy, Cyrus looked back at TJ’s injuries with heartfelt anxiety. 

“Dude, I’m so nervous; my ass is like sweating” Marty commented, only talking to TJ, but with a voice loud enough for people around him to hear.

“Thanks for that, man” TJ responded. Buffy turned around, sizing up her new team mates. 

“Just so you know,” she began, immediately getting their attention. “You may have everyone else fooled, but not me.”

“Well, if being a fool for cheering is a crime, lock me up.” Marty replied. Buffy rolled her eyes, facing forwards again as the line of people eased onto the bus. Marty held out a hand and TJ slapped a high-five into it.

Amber tapped Marty’s shoulder from behind him, and whispered: “You might wanna dial back on your bullshit with her. She takes this stuff way serious.” 

“Yeah, no doubt.” Marty nodded, not really paying attention to her advice.

Once they arrived on the bus, TJ and Marty found themselves seated in the middle. TJ got the window seat, while Marty got the aisle, with Amber and Andi across from them, and behind Amber and Andi were Buffy and Cyrus. Andi leaned over to grab the boys’ attention.

“We're so psyched you're here” she exclaimed.

TJ and Marty nodded at the compliment: “Yeah, us too.” “Me too, yeah.”

“Don't worry about Buffy; she's just really into cheering.”

The boys shook their heads: “No worries.”

Marty looked back at said girl, who was ‘really into cheering’. She already had her eyes glued to their seats. Marty scoffed and turned to TJ.

“Ugh, unfair. Even the mean girls are obsessed with you,” Marty whispered, gesturing to Buffy. TJ followed his gaze.

“Dude, she is definitely looking at you. And _not_ in the way you think”

Marty looked back at her and reassessed what he saw. He suddenly found himself very grateful that looks couldn’t kill. 

After five minutes of driving, with TJ on the phone for all of that time, Marty spoke again.

“You pumped?” Marty asked.

“Yeah, yeah, pumped.” TJ responded, not bothering to look up.

“Bro, come on, I know it wasn’t how you planned to spend our summer, but this is gonna be lit and you know it" TJ snickered at this.

"Yes, Marty, I'm sure cheer camp will be very lit" 

"Hey, and let's not forget! Chris' party in two weeks"

"True." TJ smiled at the thought of that. Parties at Chris' cabin were always the loudest and the most talked about. But something made him pause- _two weeks?_ “Two weeks? What? Marty, ball camp is four weeks long. Chris’ party is a month away”

“Oh, shit! I forgot to tell you! Texas got cancelled.”

“WHAT.” TJ yelled, causing a few people, including Buffy, to look over at them. “Basketball camp got cancelled?”

“Yeah, dude, coach’s wife had a baby. Wanna see pictures?” TJ smacked Marty’s hand away, before he could reach for his phone. 

“Then, why are we still here?” TJ said, regret beginning to sink in as they drove further and further from Shadyside. “We have to get off the bus.” He began to stand up, but Marty pulled him back down and spoke in a hushed voice. 

“No way, man! Did you not hear me the first time? Three. Hundred. Girls.”

“Oh, my God, Marty, I’m gonna kill you.”

“What would you even be doing if you weren’t here? I’m here, Amber is here. What could you possibly be missing back in Shadyside?” TJ pondered this and concluded: not a lot.

He sighed in defeat. “Fine. Whatever. But we’ll be back in time for Chris’, right? It doesn’t clash with this stupid cheerleader thing?”

“Ehh…” Marty winced. “It kinda does. It’s the day of competition.” TJ let out his loudest groan yet, but was quickly shushed by Marty. “But don’t sweat, dude! We will be going to Chris’ cabin, cause I’ve got these babies…” He reached into his pocket, revealing two bus tickets from the camp’s nearby bus station to Shadyside, scheduled for 6AM on the day of competition. 

TJ stared at them, wondering if they were in fact a blessing, or a curse in disguise. They would be spending two weeks with this squad, and then bailing out on the day the squad needed them the most.

“Amber’s gonna kill us,” he remarked, quietly. 

“And Buffy’s gonna piss on our graves.” Marty added, with fake sadness, also speaking in a whisper. They laughed, until said grave-pisser made her way towards them on the moving bus, gracefully clinging to their seats. 

“TJ, do you mind switching seats with me?” she began, with a voice full of ferocity. “I want a word with your friend”

TJ looked at Marty, who nodded in approval. He clambered over Marty and made his way to the seat beside Cyrus, in a much less graceful manner. Cyrus, who was once asleep in his seat, was woken up by TJ falling into his side. He didn’t look mad about it, though.

“Hey,” Cyrus greeted, his voice slightly fuzzy from sleep, making TJ’s heart squeeze. “What are you doing here?”

TJ couldn’t help but smile around Cyrus, and didn’t want to dampen his mood with discussion of Buffy’s suspicions. So, he decided to avoid the question altogether. 

“I- uh- I think I might’ve dropped the yoghurt you gave me earlier” TJ made an apologetic face, while Cyrus bit his lip. “I was wondering if you still have those superfoods up for grabs”. 

Cyrus’ smile was blinding, and his blush was going crazy, when he responded: “Yeah, I’ve got some laying around”.

Despite Buffy apparently wanting ‘a word’ with Marty, she spent the next ten minutes angrily staring out the window in silence. She was calming herself, so she wouldn’t engage in a screaming match in front of all her friends. With a stern and serious look in her eyes, Buffy finally turned and asked:  
"What are your intentions with my squad?"

A startled laugh escaped Marty. "Excuse me?"

"It's important to me that we win this year, and if you and your bonehead friend-"

_"Bonehead?"_

"-are just here to mess around, I'll ask Bex to pull over and you can walk back to Grant"

Marty pulled himself together from his laughing state, and responded: "Buffy, my intentions with your squad are nothing but pure. I promise you" 

"How am I supposed to believe that? Last week you didn't give a shit about cheerleading-"

_"Liar!"_

"-and now suddenly you're joining the squad. How does that happen?"

"You're underestimating my _fiery_ passion for cheering, Buffy"

"Marty." Buffy was getting angry, but Marty wouldn't budge.

"Cheering is my life."

Buffy shook her head, staring outside, seemingly contemplating her next words.

"Just... promise you're not gonna hurt my squad, alright?"

"Sure, if you promise you won't hurt mine"

Buffy looked around in disbelief. Her mouth was agape, and her expression read ‘This guy cannot be serious’.

"Your squad? You mean you and TJ?"

"That's right"

"That's not a squad, Marty. That's two people"

"Buffy, you gotta promise to not hurt me and my boy. We're only a two person squad, we're vulnerable..." Buffy finally laughed, putting her face in her palms and shaking her head. 

“You are impossible.”

"... and TJ, he's very sensitive" 

They both looked back at TJ, who had fallen asleep and was being drawn on with a black sharpie by Natalie and Iris, who were leaning over from behind him. Beside him, Cyrus was already sporting a curly moustache, and soon TJ was wearing a poorly drawn dick on his forehead.

Buffy and Marty's laughter came out in cackles. She tried to regain her stoic facade, but a smile remained. Her harsh edges had softened. 

Marty smiled at the sight. This was going to be a great summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> probs won't update tomorrow bc I'm super busy, but the next day for sure. 
> 
> 'what-it-do baby' is an NBA reference.. these basketball bitches would know: https://youtu.be/YepzD44YVkw
> 
> Comments and kudos super appreciated!! Lmk if you are enjoying!!


	5. F. U.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tigers arrive at cheer camp. TJ and Marty are introduced to their new rivals. An eccentric coach welcomes them, but warns them away from a forbidden move.

The remainder of the bus journey was anything but peaceful. Shortly after Marty’s conversation with Buffy, the cheer captain loudly sang: “We are driving! We-we are driving!” And the entire bus- save for Marty and TJ- immediately copied her words. The loud sound jolted TJ and Cyrus from their slumber. Cyrus knew what was happening and sang along with his squad, but all TJ could do was look around in confusion. He threw Marty a questioning look and only received a shrug in response.

Buffy continued: “We are driving! Again, we are driving!”

The squad copied: “We are driving! Again, we are driving!”

And when they stopped at a McDonald’s: “We are eating! We-we are eating!”

“We are eating! We-we are eating!”

Back on the road: “We like driving! We-we like driving!”

“We like driving! We-we like driving!”

TJ and Marty gave up on any more chances of falling asleep on the bus, soon realising that these chants go on for the _whole_ journey. 

“We are parking! We-we are parking!”

“We are here! We-we are here!”

The bus parked up and everyone piled out. The original squad members rushed to greet their old friends they had made at camp in the previous years, save for Buffy who had her headphones back in and her videos back on. Marty and TJ took in the bizarre sight around them, Marty’s mouth hanging open. The girls weren’t exaggerating; there really were _300_ girls at this camp. And they all seemed to be performing a series of elaborately choreographed stretches in front of the main building, like a welcome dance just for Marty.

“I think our bus crashed and we’re in heaven” Marty said, dreamily.

“No,” TJ responded. “then we would’ve heard ‘we are crashing-’”

“‘-we, we are crashing’” they sang in unison. 

A cheerleader in a blue cheer uniform began to wander past them and Marty went in for the kill, tapping her on the shoulder and causing her to turn and face the two best friends.

“Do I know you?” he began with a charming smile. TJ let out a knowing laugh at Marty’s signature move. 

“I don’t think so.” the girl answered, clearly intrigued.

“Well, I’m Marty. I'm new this year. Maybe you could show me around”. She gave him a shy, yet flirty smile.

Another girl, in the same uniform, slowed down and stood next to the girl talking to Marty.  
“Who's this?” she asked, smiling.

“Marty. He's new this year.” her friend answered, her eyes glued to him.

Marty grabbed his friend by the shoulder and pulled him into the conversation: “This is my buddy TJ, also new, also needs showing around.”

“If it's not too much trouble,” TJ added, nodding sincerely.

Suddenly, Amber was pulling them away from their conversation.  
“Guys, you gotta check in.” she said, firmly.

“Well, it was very nice meeting both of you!” TJ called back. 

“Hope we see you around camp!” Marty added, throwing a wink to the girls, causing them to fall into a fit of giggles.

When Marty turned away from the girls, looking in the direction Amber was pulling him, he noticed a particularly suspicious looking Buffy glaring at him, with Cyrus laying his head on her shoulder.

Amber led the boys to tall girl, about college-age, with a clipboard in hand. She asked what squad they belonged to and Marty, for whatever reason, decided to shoot his shot.

“_Brittany_,” he read her name tag allowed. “That Italian for beautiful princess?”

“No...” she looked taken aback by Marty’s comment, as did Amber. And TJ. And Buffy, suddenly beside him, who smacked the back of his head.

TJ answered for both of them: “Grant Tigers.”

She went through her papers and scanned her sheet. “TJ and Marty?” she asked, causing Marty to raise his eyebrows.

“You already know my name? Wow”

“What?”

“Impressive.”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you believe in fate?”

“You’re the only guys left on the call sheet. I-?” she looked around incredulously, as if asking for help with her eyes. 

“Thank you, Brittany!” Buffy said loudly, voice tinged with frustration. “Good to see you again!” She dragged Marty and TJ away, using much more force than Amber used previously. “Seriously, guys, we took a chance bringing you to this, but we can send you home just as easily. You’re _lucky_ to be here. Do _not_ embarrass me.”

Buffy walked them to the middle of a grassy field, where hundreds of other cheerleaders sat before a stage. When the three of them sat down, where the rest of the Tigers were grouped together, Marty sighed in surrender.

“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry, I just got too excited, okay? Cut me some slack; this is my first cheer camp, I’m nervous,” Marty explained, earnestly. Buffy gave a reluctant nod, still appearing suspicious but seemingly accepting this apology. 

They took this moment, surrounded by chatting cheerleaders, to look around at the competition. Occasionally a few girls from other teams would make eyes at Marty and TJ, which inflated Marty’s ego to an unnecessarily large size.

“Rachel would lose her mind if she saw you right now,” TJ whispered in Marty’s ear.

“Rachel? Who’s Rachel? I’ve erased that name from my memory to make room for 300 more,” Marty joked, elbowing his best friend in the ribs.

“You move on fast.”

“Yeah, well so does she. At least I had the decency to wait till we broke up.”

“Ha. Burn.”

“Yeah.”

“Guys, check it out.” Andi grabbed everyone’s attention, twisting her body away from the stage to look behind her. “The last bus from _Bitchville_ just pulled in.”

A large group of cheerleaders moved towards the Grant Tigers. They had by far the most impressive team there, all dressed in rhinestone studded black cheer uniforms. Most of them had visibly toned arms, perfect for lifts. They all stood tall, walking with big, powerful steps in a triangle formation. They were led by a pretty, mixed-race girl, her hair in a neat ponytail, her smile devious to no end. 

Before they arrived, Buffy whispered “Up! Up!”, and the Tigers stood up. They faced the group, sloppily attempting to mimic their triangle formation, with Buffy in the lead and TJ and Marty either side of her. Maybe it was their lack of uniforms, or their lack of confidence, but next to these guys they just looked _awkward_.

“Who are they?” Marty asked Buffy.

“The Panthers,” Buffy answered, with an annoyed sigh. Marty was grateful that for once Buffy’s anger wasn’t aimed at him. “They always come in first place and they don't let anyone forget it.

As the Panthers arrived in front of them, Cyrus cowered behind TJ. 

“You good?” TJ asked, with a fond smile. 

“No. Kira terrifies me.” Cyrus explained with a shudder. TJ assumed Kira was the girl at the front, the scariest one. The Panthers finally stopped before the Tigers, sizing them up with folded arms.

“You guys came back,” Kira began with a smirk. She spoke slowly, her words clearly hurting Buffy. “I think that's so brave.” Amber scoffed, Andi holding her arm to prevent her from jumping out of formation to start an actual fight. “I just hope one day there's a special cheer camp… where squads like yours really have a shot.”

“Shut up.” Natalie yelled, from the back of their group.

“Truth hurts.” Kira shrugged. 

“Your face is gonna hurt.” Iris threatened. Marty and TJ exchanged amazed looks through this entire conversation, marvelling at the animosity between the two teams.

“Did your face hurt when you stuffed it with all that pie?” Kira asked. Cyrus gasped at this.

“Real classy, K.” Buffy said, sharply. Kira gave her a sarcastic pout, challenging the captain.

“You wish you had my body image," Iris threw back, unphased. "I'm healthy.” 

“Yeah, you looked _super_ healthy when you threw up all over the grass, during practice, last year. Are we gonna have to call the paramedics again?” The Panthers laughed and laughed and laughed.

“Yeah, when I rip your teeth out!” Amber yelled, a hot fire behind her eyes.

“We're a different team this year, Kira.” Andi added. This point seemed to boost Buffy’s confidence, as she stood slightly taller and spoke calmly.

“Meet our new squad members.”

Marty and TJ realised she was gesturing to them and began to speak.

“I'm Marty. This is TJ.” Marty gestured between the two of them, while Buffy stood in the middle, sporting a smug smile.

“Hi. Great to meet you.” TJ gave a friendly, oblivious wave.

Kira looked them both up and down, particularly focusing on TJ. She gave a small wave and said “Hey, TJ…”, making Marty scoff and roll his eyes. Kira put her focus back on Buffy. “So you got a little more sausage in your soup this year?” Buffy let out an annoyed huff, while Marty looked down and crossed his arms over his chest. “BFD. See you on the cheer field...It's that big chunk of grass you come in last on, every year. Try not to water it with your vomit.”

After thoroughly destroying the Tigers’ self esteem, Kira clapped her hands and obnoxiously yelled: “Panthers out!” and leaving with her squad, to sit down in their section before the stage.

“_Panthers out?_” Marty turned to TJ, with a questioning brow raised.

“What are they, a knife gang?”

When they all sat back on the grass, TJ grabbed a spot beside Cyrus.

“God, I hate them.” Cyrus sighed.

“Yeah, what’s their deal with you guys?” TJ asked.

“I think Kira has some kinda beef with Buffy, so she’s decided she hates all of us.”

“That stinks. What was that stuff with Iris about?”

Cyrus gulped before whispering: “Last year, Kira said some seriously uncool stuff to her. She got real depressed and ate, like, three whole pies in twenty minutes, right before practice.” TJ raised his eyebrows, mildly impressed. “She had no idea the Panthers were watching her. During practice, when Buffy and Amber threw her in the air, she vomited all over the place. It was like a fire hydrant. We had to call an ambulance.”

TJ accidentally laughed, poorly attempting to cover it up with a cough. Cyrus gave him an unimpressed smile. “Whoa. Holy shit, that’s insane.”

Cyrus smiled and rolled his eyes, shoving him playfully. “Don’t laugh! It was really serious!”

“I’m not laughing!” he lied, earning another shove. “It sounds serious! How did I not hear about this?”

“Because, unlike Kira, we understand that it’s really embarrassing and would never bring it up again.” TJ nodded, looking over at Iris. She was being comforted by Amber, Andi and Natalie, nodding at their reaffirming words and bringing them in for a hug. TJ, who was usually too oblivious to remember a girl’s name, suddenly found himself wanting to befriend Iris. Despite the jealousy he felt towards her that morning, when she was on the bench with Cyrus, he wanted her to know that he was there for her too.

Then there was a long silence, but he could tell Cyrus wanted to say more. The silence extended and TJ, realising Cyrus couldn’t find his words, spoke again.

“So, I’m guessing I should stay away from Kira and the Panthers?”

Cyrus looked down. Bit his lip. Shrugged. 

“Well- like… Like, you don’t _have_ to.” He was back to nervously gesticulating everywhere. “Just because _I_ don’t like Kira doesn’t mean _you_ can’t like her… because, like… she clearly likes you-”

“She does?” TJ interrupted, frowning.

“_Yeah,_” Cyrus said, playing with his hands and avoiding eye contact with TJ. “She was, like, staring at you…”

“Only because I was at the front”

“...and she called out to _you_, instead of Marty… Remember?”

“Huh,” he thought back to their encounter. _Maybe Cyrus is right._ “I guess she did” Cyrus looked up at TJ, pursed his lips and nodded solemnly. 

“Yep. And, I don’t know, she’s pretty popular at her school, so she must be at least _kinda_ nice-”

“Well-”

“-and I’m not blind; she’s really pretty, so I wouldn’t _blame_ you if you were interested in her-”

“I’m not!”

Cyrus ignored him, going on: “-and the pretty girls obviously must’ve been part of what brought you guys here. I mean, we all saw Marty with Brittany. So, if you’re interested in Kira-”

“Cyrus!” TJ grabbed his shoulders, snapping him out of it, laughing. Cyrus nervously looked into his eyes, swallowing. “I’m not interested in Kira!” He let go of Cyrus’ shoulders, looking back to the empty stage. “Is she pretty? Yeah, sure, but so are lots of people. And _you’re_ like-” 

He stopped himself. His mouth hung open. _What was he even going to say?_

“I’m like…?” Cyrus looked up at him with curious eyes, holding his breath. TJ’s mouth still hung open, waiting for any idea of what to say. 

“You’re…” TJ looked back at Cyrus again, letting his beauty wash over him. He gave a sad smile. _You’re prettier. You’re perfect._ “Your opinion of her is more important to me. More than how pretty she may or may not be, anyway.” 

Cyrus gave a small smile, nodded and looked towards the stage. And, after another long look at Cyrus' side profile, so did TJ. _'Okay,'_ he thought. _'Maybe my middle school crush hasn't totally gone away. It's fine. Nothing I can't handle.'_ He turned to look at Cyrus again, wishing Cyrus was looking at him. He sighed, forcing himself to look away. _'Nothing I can't handle.'_

On the other side of TJ, Marty was whispering to Buffy.

“Hey, Buff. Hey, Buff.” He got her attention, she looked at him with bored eyes and an amused smile. “Watch this.” He took a cold fry from the red McDonald’s box in his hand and threw it at the Panthers. It hit a blonde girl on her forehead and Buffy laughed out loud. Marty loved making her laugh. 

“Nice aim,” she complimented. “The basketball team must be very proud.”

“They are.” he gave a cocky nod. 

"However…” she began, sighing. “Fry-throwing is baby shit-”

“Ew. Buffy, shut up. I’m eating” He looked at her with mock offence, a fry dangling from his mouth, and she elbowed him for teasing her. 

“I mean, it’s immature!” She corrected her phrasing. “We need to focus our energy on beating them where it counts- on the field.”

Marty gave a faux-serious salute. “Got it, captain!” His sarcasm almost made Buffy turn away from him, but he got her attention again. “Seriously, though. We’ll knock the Panthers down a peg, this year. You have my word.” He winked. She smiled a thankyou. They both faced the stage.

On the stage, a man with long messy hair ran around with a microphone. A row of coaches and volunteers, including Bex and Brittany, sat along the sidelines of the stage. The man began getting the crowd excited with a series of call-and-response’s. 

“Let's hear some noise over here!” He yelled, followed by a cheer from the left of the crowd. He ran to the right side of the stage and yelled: “Noise over here!”, followed by a cheer from the right side of the crowd.

“Are you fired up?” He asked, his voice booming through the tall speakers on either side of the stage. 

“We're fired up!” TJ and Marty looked around curiously, but still smiled and attempted to join in the fun, chanting along with their teammates when they could.

“Are you fired up?” 

“We're fired up!”

“How do you spell ‘fired up’?” 

“F-U!”

“Not really.” TJ noted, him and Marty squinting and frowning.

“How do you spell ‘fired up’?”

“F-U!”

“What's that spell?”

“Fired up!”

“Not really that way either.” TJ commented.

“Nope.” Marty agreed.

“Damn straight! F-U!” He pointed into the crowd, making Marty turn to TJ with fear in his eyes.

“Me?” Marty whispered.

“Who is this clown?” TJ asked, still staring at the stage.

“Is he talking to me?” Marty ignored TJ’s question.

“Dude, I think you’re losing it” TJ chuckled.

The strange man continued: “You're at university now. Fired Up University. Cheer college, my friends. None of this high school stuff for you. You got two weeks. We're gonna take it right to the top! Straight to F-U!”

“F-U! F-U!” The other cheerleaders chanted, making TJ and Marty jolt up in alarm.

“As most of you know, I’m Bowie. I’ll be co-ordinating the events over the next two weeks. Now that I’ve gotten everyone good and fired up, let’s give a warm, F-U welcome to the leader of this spirit ship, my wonderful mother-in-law, Coach Mack!”

The crowd erupted in high-pitched cheers and loud claps. A short older woman in a pantsuit walked calmly onto the stage smiling. 

“How do you do? My name is Coach Mack. As many of you know, I was the very first Chinese-American cheerleader _ever_ to compete at the Nationals.” The crowd clapped their praise and she smiled gratefully. “I was born cheering. My mother swears the first thing that came out of her was a little pair of baby hands doing spirit fingers!” The crowd, including TJ and Marty, laughed along, but she stopped them. “That's a joke, but it really happened.”

She continued: “For the next two weeks, you'll train with me and the other coaches and then compete in a tournament, with the top teams going on to the State Finals.”

Kira took this opportunity to gloat: “So that would be the Panthers and two other teams.” Her and the Panthers let out villainous laughs and gave each other high-fives.

A girl close to the stage had her hand in the air, wanting to ask a question. 

“Yes, go ahead” Coach Mack motioned to her, letting her know she can speak.

“I heard that there was this really hard move called the Fountain of Troy that some team did at the worlds. Are we gonna learn that?” she asked. The rest of the crowd were aware of what she was talking about, and began to murmur excitedly.

“Sure, I'll teach you how to do the Fountain of Troy.” Coach answered, nodding. A burst of cheers came from the crowd, interrupted by Coach Mack: “Then I'll teach you to put makeup on a bear!” _Gasp!_ “Absolutely not! Not only is that move nearly impossible to execute, it's extremely dangerous! That move is _prohibidado_.”

Marty frowned and called out to the coach: “Prohibi-what?” 

“Prohibidado. It is _not_ allowed, young man. You can't even_ say_ ‘Fountain of Troy’ at this cheer camp. Go ahead and say it.” 

“Fountain of Tr-” the crowd began, only for the coach to go red with anger and throw her clipboard on the floor.

“Stop it!" she screeched. "What are you _doing!?_ This isn't a game! I'm not playing around up here!” 

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

Marty bent over to look at Andi: “Hey. Isn’t that your Grandma?” He laughed.

She had one hand on her forehead, embarrassed, when she answered: “Yep. That’s Cece.” Amber laughed and put a comforting arm around her. 

Cece continued, much calmer: “Sorry. That's just a joke. First week of cheer camp. Let’s have a good time. Everybody say it: ‘Fountain of Troy’.”

“Fou-”

“Oh, my dear Lord!” Cece screamed, kicking the air and turning her hands into fists. “Oh, shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Bowie rushed over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and reminding her to breathe.

In the audience, TJ and Marty were laughing loudly.

“Holy shit, she’s lost her mind.” TJ said, between laughs, making Marty bury his head in TJ’s shoulder, cracking up.

“Nobody does the Fountain of Troy at this cheer camp!” Cece announced, her mouth close to the microphone.

“Bet,” TJ joked to Marty. Marty elbowed him and TJ shouted to Coach Mack: “But I wanna!”, earning a laugh from some cheerleaders in the crowd, including Cyrus. _Not_ including Buffy.

“No! No Fountain of Troy!”, Cece yelled, practically bursting at the seams, with Bowie holding her back.

Then, Marty called out: “If you want me to do it, just say! I’ll do it! I’ll do it right now”

Before Cece could get any blood on her hands, Bowie pulled her away and Brittany stood up. She told everyone their bunk numbers and sent them away for the night.

As the cheerleaders dispersed, Marty asked TJ: “So… we’re doing that Fountain of Troy thing right?”

“Of course, we are.” TJ responded, laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos super appreciated!! Give me the motivation to finish this!!


	6. Bunkmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ and Marty make some new friends.

Later that night, the boys were running into their bunks, TJ chasing Marty and kicking him in the ankles whenever he got the chance. Marty would occasionally yell “Knock it off”, or “Get off me, you dick!”, but they were both laughing as they ran. 

Eventually they arrived at their bunks, with their bags, ready to unpack and call it a night. They were staying in a large room, which was colourful, well-lit and well maintained; TJ couldn’t help but be amazed at the level of funding that these cheerleaders got. The room was shared with Cyrus and three other cheerleaders from different schools, two of which were already there on arrival. 

“Hey!” one of their bunkmates greeted. He had short brown hair and a sweetly dimpled smile. “I’m Jonah,” he reached out a hand, welcoming TJ and Marty with a friendly shake. “You guys must be new.”

“Yeah,” TJ started. “I’m TJ, this is Marty.”

“Cool, cool! Great to meet you guys!" He nodded at the two boys, before carefully approaching a new topic: "So, just a quick FYI... I’m kiiind of a neat freak, so we’ll get along _totally_ fine as long as you keep your area clean.”

“My area?” Marty asked, with a raised eyebrow.

“Your bunks!” Jonah answered, smiling

“Got it.”

“I can’t stand clutter.” Jonah gestured around the room with wide eyes.

TJ gave him a nod and an 'A-Okay' sign with his hand: “No problem, man. You’ll get zero mess from us.”

“Doshe!” Jonah replied, giving his new bunkmates the stamp of approval.

Marty then noticed a guy sitting in the corner of the room, on one of the single beds, wearing a large eagle costume.

“Who’s the eagle?” he asked Jonah. Jonah frowned in confusion, and then saw who Marty was motioning to.

“Oh, that’s Gus. Mascot.” 

“Oh, right.” Marty replied, looking at Gus, who was now waving at them. “How’s it goin in there?” Gus replied by giving a thumbs up with his feathered hands.

“The mascots don’t talk,” Jonah informed. “Just...y’know… gesture!”

Marty nodded at this, understanding, but TJ asked: “Even in their bunks?”, his eyebrows practically in his hairline.

“Whole time. Total immersion.” Jonah talked about this cheerleading stuff like it was the coolest thing in the world. “One time, a guy pissed in his costume. Like, every time he needed to go.”

“Hm.” Marty said, while TJ let out an “Ew.”

The two boys started to turn around and get to unpacking, but Jonah was seemingly oblivious to this and continued to recount other strange mascot stories.

“Another time, a guy stayed in his costume so long he overheated and passed out.”

TJ grabbed Marty’s shoulder, shaking him, and said: “See, Marty? People die from heatstroke everywhere, not just El-Paso.”

“Shut up, man” Marty shoved TJ’s hand off him.

“_Die?_” Jonah appeared startled at even the mention of death. “No, dude, no one’s dying. Nothing like that happens at cheer camp.”

“It might!” a lightskin boy, with a blonde streak in his hair, said, entering their bunk.

“What?!” Jonah questioned, caught off guard. He looked at the boy with alarm. “Why?”

“Didn’t you hear coach? Fountain of Troy is super dangerous-”

“Yeah, but no one’s actually gonna do it! It’s prohibi-doodio!” 

“Prohibi_dado_.” Cyrus walked in and corrected him. “Jonah, I said don’t hurt yourself.”

Jonah sighed, returning to his area to finish unpacking. TJ did the same, avoiding eye contact with Cyrus. He had decided that ignoring the boy was his safest bet for dealing with his crush. He knew that just looking at him would give him some crazy adrenaline rush, making his heart beat out of his chest, causing him to say something stupid. _Again_. Just _knowing_ that they were in the same room made his stomach fill with butterflies, so he got to work unpacking. 

On the other side of the room, Cyrus was also unpacking, but he kept lifting his head to see if TJ was going to acknowledge his presence. After looking up from his suitcase around ten times, he realised his efforts were fruitless. Maybe TJ didn’t even notice he was there.

Marty got bored after a few minutes of packing and walked over to the mixed race boy, who was putting a framed photograph on his bedside table. 

“What’s up, man, I’m Marty.” he greeted, bringing up a hand to do a ‘bro’ hand shake.

“Sup, man. Walker.” he accepted the handshake, and went back to taking things out of his bag. Marty observed the photograph on his nightstand, it showing Walker and a redhead girl in matching cheer uniforms. Marty swore he recognised the girl in the picture. _’No, there’s no way. It can’t be her’._

“That your girlfriend?” Marty asked, pointing at the picture.

“Yeah,” Walker replied, already grinning at the mention of her. He lifted the photograph, giving Marty a closer look. _’No way. It’s not her.'_

“Her name’s Libby!”

_Oh, shit, it’s her._

“Holy, shit, man I know her!” Marty exclaimed, loudly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, man, she tried to give me her number during a game once.”

“Seriously?” Walker laughed.

“Wow…” Marty nodded. “Isn’t life crazy? Like, how things line up?” he wondered aloud. “You know, if I knew any sign language, it could be me dating her right now.” 

“You wish, asshole. We’ve been cheering together since we were like six. We were bound to happen, sooner or later.” 

“Six?!” Walker nodded, still smiling. “That’s beautiful, bro. Wish you the best.”

“Thanks man.”

Marty walked back to his bed, which was near TJ’s. He resumed sloppily pulling clothes out of his bag, some landing on the wooden floor, earning nervous looks from Jonah.

“Hey, Teej,” Marty began whispering. “You’ll never guess who I just met!”

“The boyfriend of the girl who tried to sign you her number last year?” TJ replied in a monotone voice, not looking up from his unpacking.

“Yeah! Shit, how’d you know?”

“Dude, you’re like the loudest guy ever and we were literally ten feet away.”

“Nuh-uh” Marty said with an offended expression.

“Yuh-uh!” TJ replied, looking up and seeing the mess of Marty’s clothes that had somehow already culminated on the floor. He picked up a bunch of it and threw it at his friend. “And pick up your shit!”

Marty lifted his hands in surrender. “I was gonna! What’s the big deal?” TJ lifted an accusatory finger, walking over and poking his friend in the chest.

“If Prohibidoodio throws us out," he motioned towards Jonah, "I’m blaming you. I love you, man, but I have _no_ problem snitching on your ass” 

Marty scoffed, childishly mimicking his words in a baby voice, before silently going back to packing. They both said nothing, for a couple of minutes. TJ even wondered if he took it too far, and actually upset his friend.

Until Marty broke the silence.

“Ha... _Prohibidoodio_” he snorted, making TJ laugh and shake his head.

“You’re so dumb...”

That night, after the sky had gone black and the majority of the bunk had fallen asleep, TJ went outside and sat on the porch. He looked up at the stars, not thinking much of anything, nervous about everything. He wondered if the boy on his mind had fallen asleep yet. 

“Hey.”

TJ practically jumped ten feet in the air. “_Jesus!_” he whisper-yelled, in alarm. “Cyrus you can’t just sneak up on people like that!” Cyrus giggled, making TJ’s heart race. He was sat beside TJ, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and his hair messy from the pillow. TJ continued: “What are you doing out here?”

“What are _you_ doing out here?” Cyrus asked, nudging him with his knee, making that spot on his leg tingle.

“I asked first.”

Cyrus paused, taking a deep breath, before admitting:  
“I wanted to see if you were mad at me.”

_What?_ TJ looked him in the eye with a confused expression. ”Really?”  
Cyrus let out a breath and nodded solemnly. 

“Yeah…” he paused, his mouth twitching and his hands nervously tangled together. “Did I... do something?” he asked. “Like… something wrong?” TJ’s heart twisted with pain and guilt; his face was just so genuinely sad. And it was TJ who made him feel that way.

“No!” TJ waved his hands in front of him. “No! No! What… What would make you think that?” _What did I do to make you think that?_

“I don’t know…” Cyrus closed in on himself, looking away. “It’s dumb. Now that I think about it… it’s stupid. It’s just, like, you running away from me, when we were waiting for the bus...” _Oh._ “...And, you’ve kinda been ignoring me, since we’ve been in our bunks…” _Oh._

“Oh.” was all TJ could say. Cyrus continued to look down at his feet. 

“And I know I’ve been annoying today,” he said self consciously, shaking his head. “Like, bugging you about Kira and… giving you weird food and stuff-”

“Hey,” TJ moved in closer, their legs ever-so close to touching, forcing Cyrus to make eye contact with him. “That wasn’t weird. Or annoying.” he swallowed before speaking again. “You could never annoy me. Seriously.”

Cyrus made a disbelieving face “Okay, that’s a bit much. I’m definitely not _that_ tolerable”

“You _definitely_ are. Look at everything you did for me today. You gave me food when I didn’t have breakfast. You stuck by me in front of the Panthers. You ignored my weird comment about you making a good dad.” he shuddered at the thought, but it made Cyrus laugh, so he swallowed the embarrassment. “You even-” he laughed breathily. “You even gave me your wipes when your so-called _‘friends’_ drew a giant _wang_ on my forehead!” Cyrus let out a loud laugh, leaning his head against TJ’s arm. 

“Well, I couldn’t let one of the _Tigers_ walk into cheer camp like _that_, could I? Buffy would’ve been humiliated.” They laughed together loudly. 

Then their laughter became quiet, Cyrus lifting his head from TJ’s shoulder. When TJ turned to look at him, their faces were insanely close, their noses mere centimetres away from touching. They looked at each other and TJ’s breaths became small, not wanting to disturb the peace, or wake up from this dream. The night was so silent, he could hear Cyrus take in a deep breath. When Cyrus exhaled, TJ could feel it brush across his face. He accidentally looked down at Cyrus’ mouth, his lips aching for reasons he wasn’t ready to admit to himself, and when he looked up he _knew_ Cyrus had noticed. 

“I’m the one who’s done something wrong,” TJ finally whispered. “I’ve been an asshole... I just- I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry… for making you think you’re annoying… You’re not...” 

Cyrus then moved his face away slightly, which was enough for TJ to get the hint and remove some of the strange tension between them. He shuffled away awkwardly and lifted his hands in surrender. “My bad!” he said, with a laugh. Cyrus laughed too, but his smile didn’t meet his eyes. 

After sitting in silence for a minute, Cyrus asked “Hey, you wanna, like, do warm-ups together tomorrow, or something? Start fresh?” His eyes looked hopeful and TJ smiled, closing his eyes and nodding. 

“Yeah. That sounds great, Cy.” 

They both smiled, looking at each other for a moment, before looking away. After sitting in a peaceful silence for a minute, Cyrus suggested that they actually try to sleep. They both walked slowly to their respective beds and, when they had both laid down, waved a ‘goodnight’ across the room before they let their heads hit the pillow.

TJ laid awake for an hour that night, staring at the ceiling, begging the butterflies in his stomach to calm down.


	7. The Game is Afoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up for the boys, on their first few days at cheer camp.

On the first morning of cheer camp, TJ was woken by Marty yanking the covers off his single bed and pulling the curtains open. White light streamed in through the windows, jarring TJ from his sleep. 

“Morning, sweetheart!” Marty yelled, in an annoyingly chipper tone. TJ groaned and kicked against the mattress in frustration. “Get up, man. Everyone’s already at breakfast.”

“What time is it?” TJ slurred, clambering out of bed.

“Early. These cheerleaders do _not_ mess around.” TJ hummed in agreement and moved slowly to the bathroom. Marty, who was having _none_ of TJ’s grumpy-morning shit today, ran over to him and shoved his back, pushing him into high gear. “Hurry up, man! I don’t wanna miss pancakes!” He jumped up and down impatiently, as TJ began brushing his teeth, replying with a muffled ‘yeah, yeah’.

“Dude, it should be, like, illegal to be awake this early” TJ complained, poking at his eggs, his eyes still heavy with sleep. The two boys were opposite each other on a long, white cafeteria table, surrounded by a hundred perky cheerleaders. Marty was using one hand to eat, while the other was busy swiping on his phone, his eyes glued to the screen.

“Yeah, yeah.” Marty replied, shovelling chocolate chip pancakes in his mouth, hardly listening. “Check out this girl.” He forced his phone into TJ’s face, making him squint. “She cute, or what?”

“Yeah, very cute-” he paused. “-wait, are you on fucking _Tinder_ right now?” TJ asked, in disbelief. Marty pulled his phone away from his judging eyes.

“Uh, yeah? Are you surprised?” he asked, rhetorically. “I gotta know what I’m doing, man. I’m developing a game plan,” he paused, putting more pancakes into his mouth. “Like basketball- I gotta know my plays, go over the playbook-”

“Shut up, you have _never_ read the playbook in your life.”

“-see, this girl?” he pointed the phone in TJ’s direction, now showing a new profile. “Lanie. She likes yoga, rap music and playing with her cat, Pebbles.”

TJ was struggling to see the point in this conversation. “...Right.”

“So, now I’ve got some info. I can strike up a conversation about...Kendrick! Or invite her to do yoga sometime-”

“Or tell her you’re allergic to cats!” TJ suggested, sarcastically. Marty responded with a deadpan expression.

“That doesn’t matter! I’m not looking for anything serious; I’m not meeting Lanie’s parents, let alone her cat. I’m young. I’m healthy. I’m _surrounded_ by girls. I just wanna have fun.” 

TJ raised a critical eyebrow. “I thought the whole reason you wanted to come here was to get a girlfriend? To get over Rachel?”

Marty shook his head. “No way, dude. Last time I tried a serious relationship, it blew up in my face,” he explained. “Not only did I get hurt by Rachel, but the fact that she goes to my school meant she hurt my chances of getting with anyone else at Grant. They either assume I’m the asshole who broke Rachel’s heart, or that we’re still dating. A serious relationship just isn’t worth it, right now.” 

TJ nodded, understanding. Marty brought his fork down to his plate, ready to stuff more pancakes in his face, when Buffy appeared seemingly from nowhere and snatched his plate away.

“Hey!” he called after her, as she walked to throw the food away. After doing so, she walked back towards the boys.

“No more pancakes!” she announced. “We start practice at noon, and I won’t have anyone getting sick this year. That means _healthy_ breakfast. Got it?” Marty rolled his eyes at her.

“Okay! Jeez, mom, wanna take my fork, too?” he irritatingly waved his fork in her face. She took it from his hand and walked over to put it in the cutlery bin. Upon realising that she was essentially cleaning up after him, he felt guilty and yelled a “thankyou!” She turned and gave a kind nod, before leaving.

Feeling ignored, TJ furrowed his eyebrows and asked: “Why didn’t she take my plate? I’m literally done.” He motioned down at his clean plate.

Marty shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t notice.”

“I think she hates me, man. She’s totally freezing me out; she’s the _captain_ and she’s barely said a word to me.”

“That’s not true; she spoke to you on the way over.”

“Only to ask to sit next to _you_. And when she yells at us, she’s mainly looking at you, like I’m not even good enough to be yelled at.” He grumbled, making Marty snicker. “What’s her problem, anyway?”

“Hey, she’s not that bad. She’s just really into cheering, that’s all.” he defended, making TJ sat back and raise his eyebrows.

“Jeez, Party. Day one and you’re already turning into one of them.” He picked up his plate and walked over to the bins, Marty hurrying after him.

“Turning into who?” he asked, as TJ dumped his plate and cutlery away.

“You’re turning into a tiger, bro.”

Marty scoffed. “I am not,” he argued, as TJ looked around the room, ignoring him. He changed the subject: “Hey, wanna come do warm ups with me? There’s a bunch of girls doing stretches, out on the field. I could talk to them, you could be my wing-man. Y’know, like old times?”

TJ looked down at his best friend. He looked like an excited puppy, and TJ hated to disappoint him, but: “Sorry, man, I promised to do warm ups with Cyrus.” 

Marty looked confused. “Goodman? Since when are _you_ friends?”

TJ made an annoyed face and moved in close to Marty. “Since you brought a gay guy to a camp of 300 random girls, Marty.” he whispered, not wanting to out himself to a room full of strangers. 

Marty put his hands up: point taken. They exchanged _Later, bro_’s, and headed in different directions for warm ups. Marty headed straight to one of the patches of blue mats outside, where girls were doing impressive stretches, or cooling down after their workouts. Meanwhile, TJ, now full of energy from breakfast, searched for his warm up partner.

Cyrus was waiting for him, in one of the doorways of the cafeteria. He was looking anxiously around, worried that TJ wouldn’t show, but calmed down when he saw TJ bounding towards him with a wide smile.

“Hey! So, you wanna start with some stretches? Then go for a jog on the track?” TJ began, abruptly. Cyrus just smiled, amazed that TJ had even shown up.

“You came.” Cyrus replied, mildly dazed. TJ shook his head and laughed fondly.

“Of course I came.”

The two of them walked outside and headed towards the patch of blue mats, in the middle of the field. TJ hopped from foot to foot, clearly full of energy and wanting to run.

“Race you there,” he teased, a daring look in his eye. Cyrus raised an eyebrow.

“Race? Before I’ve stretched? Why do you want me competing with two broken legs?”

“Hmm.” So, racing was off the table. TJ pondered what to do with the sudden burst of adrenaline he had acquired. “How about I… give you a piggy-back ride?”

“Huh?”

“Come on, it’ll be fun! And we’ll get there so much faster!” 

“I don’t care about getting there fast!”

“Pleeeeease”, TJ begged, with praying hands. “I wanna ruuuun.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Cyrus commented, smiling at the ground. “Fine!” 

TJ smiled and nudged his shoulder. They stopped walking and TJ got down in front of him. “Hop on,” he told Cyrus. After feeling a warm weight on his back, he joked: “Fasten your seatbelt.”

“Good one- Aaaaah!” Cyrus tried to tease him, but TJ was off in a flash, darting carefully around other cheerleaders. “Slow down, you dick!” he yelled, but he was laughing, which only made TJ go faster.

From Marty’s place on a patch of blue mats, he laughed at what he could see: his best friend charging towards the field, scaring all the girls away, with a terrified cheerleader clinging to his back. _’What a dumbass.’_

He looked over at some girls on the mats, psyching himself up and shaking away the nervous jitters. He walked over to a girl he recognised, who sat stretching her legs, and he began a conversation.

“Hey,” he began, getting her attention. “Lanie, right?” She nodded and smiled up at him.

“Yeah,” she answered. “You look new. Do we know each other?”

“Not yet,” he replied, with his most charming smile, making her blush. “I’m Marty. You wanna do warm ups together?”

She giggled shyly before answering: “Sure.”

And the game was afoot.

Marty had to pat himself on the back; for the first four days of cheer camp, things were pretty sweet. He had gotten a bunch of girls’ phone numbers. Some numbers he got through his charming words, and some through his good looks alone. He found himself with different girls every day. He would usually go on jogs with them, work out, do yoga, or even watch a movie with them, on one of the camp’s designated movie nights. It made him feel good to know girls liked him. It gave him confidence. 

He also just thought girls were super cool and cute and loved talking to them. Putting his arm around them. Kissing them.

And his moves were mostly the same. 

_“I always knew there was something else I should be doing,”_ he told one girl._ “You know, like there was something more…Something more inside me.”_

He used the same stories. 

_“I guess you could say I’ve always had a cheer waiting to get out.”_

The same pick up lines.

_“And now, well, I live to cheer. And I cheer to live.”_

He had been planning what he would say to these girls before he even arrived. However, his stories occasionally varied depending on who he was talking to.

Like: _”My grandmother was a cheerleader. It was what she loved most in the world. So when she died, I just picked up the family pom-poms.”_

Or: _”I looked that little kitten in the eyes and I knew I had to take her home. And now, Sniffles, that's who I tell my secrets to.”_

But he always finishes in the same way:

_“This is weird... I don't usually open up like this._

He would say that line with a soft smile, his eyes twinkling, his lips pouted. It sounded corny, but it worked. The girl would flutter her eyelashes, stroke his bicep and suddenly they were kissing, or holding hands, or at least exchanging numbers.

Him and Lanie hit it off right away, but he let her know that he wasn’t looking for anything serious. She thanked him for his sincerity and promised that she didn’t care about that stuff: “What happens at cheer camp, stays at cheer camp,” she said. They ended up making out by the lake, later that afternoon. A similar thing happened with another girl named Jasmine, behind the cafeteria. And another girl named Molly, outside her bunk.

Buffy caught him that last time, because she shared a bunk with Molly. Four days ago she would have scolded him, but instead she simply rolled her eyes and told him to go back to his bunk. 

Marty and Buffy were getting along shockingly well. She helped him closely with his moves during practice and she was honestly impressed with how his and TJ’s presence was impacting the team. Buffy ate with Marty at meals, sometimes, and they would discuss practice, or sports, or even Marty and his many ‘girlfriends’. She didn’t even mind all the flirting, as long as it didn’t interfere with their cheering. And it didn’t.

That’s another reason why Marty was patting himself on the back: his cheering was, like, _good_. TJ’s too. With Buffy as captain, practice is incredibly thorough. TJ and Marty were perfect bases, their height enabling them to lift and throw the smaller cheerleaders higher than ever before. Coach Mack would often work alongside the Tigers, teaching them moves and techniques to make their movements more fluid and their cheering more powerful. The Panthers had even caught wind of their improved cheering.

They were observing the Tigers’ practice one day, when one of the Panther girls whispered: “Is it my imagination, or do they _not_ totally suck?”

“It's your imagination,” Kira replied, bluntly, growing increasingly angry whenever she heard them cheer _“Go Tigers!”_

Meanwhile, TJ and Cyrus warmed up together almost everyday. Sometimes they were alone, but sometimes they were with some of the other Tigers. TJ and Andi got along well, after finding common ground in art and motocross. One night, he even went over to the girls’ bunk, staying up late into the night and laughing for hours. Amber bet him he couldn’t carry Natalie and Iris on each of his shoulders for at least ten seconds. Andi warned him against it, but he couldn’t resist a challenge (even one that he knows will go wrong- leaving him with even more bruises and scrapes).

Buffy still obviously had something against him, but he was working on that. He thought that if he just worked hard enough in practice, Buffy might drop her grudge against him. It hadn’t worked after four days, Buffy continuing to ignore him and send him glares, but he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

“She just has a thing about basketball players,” Cyrus told him, once. “She’ll see how great you are eventually. I promise.”

Cyrus was great at reassuring him. It was a comfort to have him around. Cyrus made him nervous… but he also made him calm. It was strange, the way someone who was practically a stranger to TJ, previously, was suddenly so important to him. TJ could see Cyrus being a permanent fixture in his life, or, at least he wished for it. Everytime TJ had a moment alone with Cyrus, he wished that those moments would happen again and again. Even if they were only friends, TJ could imagine them going to college together and getting part-time jobs at the same place. He could see them going camping together, and staying up late to watch the stars. He could see them living in the city, getting an apartment together, going on dumb vacations to Disneyland. He could see himself playing basketball, and Cyrus cheering him on at the sidelines.

TJ knew he was getting too attached too soon. He could feel an ache in the pit of his stomach, warning him to not put his all into this boy so fast. But TJ had never met anyone like Cyrus. And he doubted he ever would again.

On the fifth day of camp, Marty decided to take the morning off chasing girls; he just wanted to hang out with Buffy. Despite whatever TJ thought, she was really cool. They meshed well together, and Marty found himself wanting to talk to her all the time. 

That morning, he caught up with her, as she jogged around the track. He looked up, noticing the moon still hanging in the sky, lingering from the night.

“You know what the French say,” he began, as they jogged side-by-side. “A day-moon brings good luck to whoever sees it.”

“They also say 8-year-olds should drink wine.” Buffy laughed.

Marty ignored her joke, continuing: “And if it's a _crescent_ moon, it'll bring good luck for a whole week.”

“Yeah? What is it now?”

“Well, I'm jogging with the captain of the best squad here,” he looked over at her, while she kept her eyes ahead. “So I'd say it's pretty crescent.”

“Wow, Marty,” she chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Am _I_ your girl of the day now? It would be _such_ an honour.” 

“You wish,” he winked. “Hey, I’ll race you.” He motioned to the finish line close by.

“Cheering isn't a race. This isn't basketball.”

“There's a competition at the end.” Marty argued.

“Hm. Yeah, you're right,” she agreed, a hint of challenge in her voice. “On your mark, get set-” 

And she sprinted ahead of him, before the word ‘Go’ even left her lips. Marty watched her beat him, sighing with affection.

“Oh, she cheats!” he shouted, chasing after her. “Driscoll cheats, everyone! We’ve got a cheater!” Others on the track gave them strange looks, making Buffy slow her pace, catch her breath and turn to Marty, shoving him playfully.

“One run, Marty! Can I _please_ get through one run, without you embarrassing me?” 

She sighed, putting a hand on her hip and tilting her head, with a jokingly exasperated expression. Beads of sweat were coating her forehead, her cheeks were tinged red and the morning sun was making her skin glow. She looked completely in her element.

“Embarrassing you? Please…” he put his arm around her. “With me by your side, you’ve never looked better.”

“Ugh,” she shoved him away, faux-disgust on her face. “Sweaty!”

“You don’t like this?” he gestured at his sweat stains, as he moved closer to her.

“You literally smell of toxic waste.” she insulted, only egging him on to chase her down the track, as she ran away. “Marty, piss off!”


	8. Do you like her?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of day 5. TJ gives some advice to Marty. Marty is confronted by one of the Panthers.

On the fifth night of camp, TJ and Marty were doing workouts, with the rest of the tigers. Judy Bartholomew, one of the coaches, took them through a series of routines, encouraging them with her buzzy attitude. Some members of other squads had joined in, including Jonah, from the boys’ bunk, and a few of the Panthers. 

In the middle of a work out drill, involving weights, TJ and Marty were whispering to each other.

“I think Buffy’s warming up to me.” TJ began, smiling. The two of them had already worked up a sweat.

“Yeah?” Marty said, between short breaths. “ How can you tell?”

“She spoke to me, during practice!” TJ turned to Marty, as they lifted their dumbbells above their heads in unison. “She complimented me, when I caught Cyrus. Said I’m good at spotting. Said that me and him make a good team. Isn’t that great?”

“Yeah, great.” Marty’s voice lacked enthusiasm. He couldn’t help but overthink what his friend was telling him, his mind getting stuck on the worst case scenario. “You don’t think she _likes_ you, or anything, right?”

“What? No way. She barely speaks to me.”

“Yeah, but some girls are like that, Teej; they play hard to get,” the two boys lunged, copying Judy. “They say one thing and mean another. They act mean and distant, but maybe they’re just trying to get your attention.”

Marty glanced at the back of Buffy, who was doing the moves perfectly, a few feet in front of them. She looked elegant, but not effortless. She was putting her all into every minor detail. She reminded Marty of TJ in that way: he read those stupid basketball playbooks religiously, making every second on the court count. _’If TJ were into girls,’_ he thought, _’Buffy would probably be perfect for him.’_

“That makes no sense, dude. She said _one_ sentence to me. You’re way off base.” TJ shook his head, wanting to change the subject from the possibility of Buffy having a crush on him. He briefly turned around, smiling cheekily, before speaking again. “Speaking of girls, the brunette in back is staring at you,” Marty shifted his body around to see a girl in a black cheer uniform smiling at him. “Want me to resume my wingman duties?” TJ joked.

Marty’s eyes went wide, as he turned around to face the front. “Ooh, no thanks. Not her,” Marty whispered. TJ looked confused, so Marty explained: “She’s a Panther,” like it was the most obvious explanation in the world.

TJ let out a startled laugh. “So?” Marty responded by shrugging and widening his eyes, like it would help TJ understand. “_Party_, my man, I think you might be taking this rivalry shit a _little_ too seriously.”

“Buffy would kill me.”

“Who cares?”

“I care! She’s my friend. This shit’s important to her. Don’t be an asshole, man.” He spoke in a high-pitched voice, feeling defensive. TJ raised his hands in surrender: _’My bad!'_ Marty then decided to turn the tables around on him. “How are things on the, uh, boyfriend front?”

TJ rolled his eyes, already exhausted with this turn in the conversation. He spared a quick glance at Cyrus, who was working out beside Buffy, and quickly looked down before Marty could notice. “I told you, man, I’m not looking for that.”

“Why not? You could be!”

“I know, I’m just not.” 

“I’m just saying, there are a _bunch_ of gay guys here,” Marty whispered the word ‘gay’, as if he hadn’t already said the word ‘boyfriend’ out loud. “Maybe _I_ could be _your_ wingman for a change…”

TJ scoffed. “Thanks, I’ll pass.”

Marty looked around, scouring the group for potential bachelors. He poked at TJ’s shoulder repetitively and nodded towards Jonah, at the end of their line. “What about that Jonah kid? He _can’t_ be straight.”

“No.” TJ’s voice was flat, _done_ with his best friend. At the same time, Judy was concluding the session, putting her weights down and dismissing the group. As TJ walked to get his gym bag from where it laid on the ground, beside Marty’s, he continued to be bothered by him.

“Why not? Come on, man. Seize the day. Get! On! That! Horse!” Marty clapped along with every syllable.

“Get- what? No.”

“He seems nice! You’d be sweet together!”

“Thanks,” TJ said sarcastically, taking a drink from his water bottle.

“We could call you JJ!” TJ didn’t respond, so Marty teased him further. “Or… Thejonious-”

“Hey!” TJ shoved Marty’s shoulder. “I told you that in _confidence_. Never repeat it.” Marty simply laughed at his friend’s attempt at anger. “Come on, let’s hit the showers.”

Marty was about to follow TJ, as he jogged away to the communal showers, but was stopped by someone harshly grabbing his arm, scratching him with their acrylic nails. 

“Ow, shit!” he winced, turning around to see who it was and finding the brunette from earlier standing before him. Her eyes were pretty, and her makeup was scarily stunning, but her smile was devious. Her expression actually reminded him of Kira, making him wonder if _looking_ evil is something she teaches all the Panthers. 

“Sorry.” she apologised, looking up at him with big, round eyes. “I’m Maddy.”

Marty nodded, his expression one of confusion. “Marty,” he introduced. “Why’d you scratch me?”

“I didn’t mean to; I just wanted to get your attention.” He raised his eyebrows and she moved in closer to him, touching his forearm where pink lines were still visible from her scratch. She moved her fingers up and down his arm. “Does it hurt?”

“A little bit. You’re _vicious_,” he joked, making Maddy giggle softly. He thought back to what TJ said, almost considering asking if she was single. That was until he looked away from her for a second and saw Buffy, standing far away and watching them. Watching Maddy stroke her hand along Marty’s bicep. She quickly turned away, pretending she didn’t see them, but her expression was one of obvious hurt. Maddy, noticing this, let out a quiet laugh, before pulling her hand away from Marty. He looked back at her and she suddenly appeared far less interested in him than she was before.

“Well, it was good to meet you...Markus.” she clearly guessed his name, already having forgotten it. Her voice and face were both deadpan as she turned around and walked towards the other Panthers. When she met her friends, Marty watched her smile and give Kira a high-five and he couldn’t help but feel like he was a toy in some kind of twisted game.

After showering and changing, in the boys’ communal shower block, Marty walked outside, his drawstring bag hanging over his shoulder, to find that the sky was considerably darker. TJ was already out, leaning against the wall, waiting for him in a dressing gown. 

“Hey,” Marty called out to his friend. “Ready to go?” TJ nodded, and pushed himself off the wall. However, before they could make a move towards their bunks and call it a night, Marty noticed Buffy walking towards them. “Hey, Buffy,” he greeted, with TJ beside him giving her a friendly wave. 

“Hey, Tigers,” she replied to them. “You just showered?”

“Yep. You goin in?”

“I was gonna,” she began, playing anxiously with her hands. “But I have to shower barefoot, and I am _not_ excited about getting some kinda flesh-eating virus.”

“Damn.” TJ nodded sympathetically, but didn’t look too interested.

“Why do you have to shower barefoot? Didn’t you bring flip-flops?” Marty asked.

“Of course, I did… but somebody stole them.”

“You sure you didn’t just _lose_ them?” TJ asked, earning an annoyed look from Buffy.

“Well, here,” Marty reached into his bag, pulling out a pair of flip-flops and throwing them towards Buffy. “Take mine.” Buffy and TJ both looked at him incredulously, but for different reasons.

“You sure?” she asked, smiling.

“Yeah, we’re teammates. And I brought two pairs, anyway.”

“Wow, thankyou-- and, look! We’re the same size and everything!” she compared her own feet to the flip-flops.

“Yeah,” Marty rubbed the back of his neck, self consciously and spoke quickly. “I have, like, _weirdly_ small feet. It’s weird. I don’t really like to talk about it.”

“_You_ brought it up!”, Buffy laughed. She looked at him with warm eyes, slipping the shoes on and walking into the girls’ showers. “Thanks again!”

“See you later!” Marty called, as him and TJ finally started walking towards their bunks. TJ was still wearing a shocked face, his mouth hanging slightly open.

“Uh, bro?” he asked. “_What_ is the deal with you and Buffy?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you _like_ her?”

“What- no.”

“Then, what was all that? With the shoes?”

“I was just being nice!”

“You know where _nice_ leads- wait, was that why you were such a dick to me, at work out? Bugging me about Buffy, and shit?” TJ’s eyes were getting wider and wider. He pulled his friend in close, shaking him around, bearing a cheesy grin. “Holy shit, were you jealous?”

“Get off me, I was not!” Marty argued. TJ laughed, leaning his whole bodyweight on Marty, causing the two of them to sway side-to-side, rather than walking in a straight path.

“You’re so cute when you're jealous, Mr Driscoll!” TJ teased. Marty’s face went red and he buried it in his hands, as TJ continued to jostle him around. “Ugh, _When he gets jealous over you_-”

“Alright, shut up,” he said firmly, finally pushing his laughing best friend away. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“I know, I know,” TJ assured him, calming down. “But you’re not gonna do anything about it, right?”

Marty paused. Was he not allowed to? “I don’t know. Why?”

TJ sighed, shaking his head. “Dude, you can’t be hooking up with girls from Grant. It’ll be _Rachel_ all over again.” Marty shuddered at the memory. “Plus, you’ll see them everyday, so it’ll be awkward. And weren’t you the one that said you _didn’t_ want a serious relationship?”

Marty nodded forlornly, looking down at his feet. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” he agreed, cockily. “You do _not_ poop where you eat. That’s why there are no restaurants called _The Bathroom_.”

“There are bathrooms at restaurants.”

“That was a metaphor, my friend. Don’t worry, buddy, you’ll learn about those when your brain cells come in.” He flicked his friend in the forehead.

The next morning, Marty was stretching alone when Buffy joined him.

“No girlfriend today?” she asked, sitting down beside him. Despite agreeing with what TJ had said yesterday, Marty refused to let it interfere with his relationship with Buffy. 

“Guess not,” he shrugged, smiling. “But it’s only morning.” Buffy smiled, but looked visibly uncomfortable. She decided to get straight to the point.

“I saw you, last night,” she confessed. “After Judy’s work out…”

His heartbeat sped up and he turned his head to her in an instant. His eyes went wide with worry and his mouth opened and closed, searching for the right thing to say. He was sure she had _somehow_ heard him talking to TJ. She had heard him talking to TJ and was now aware of his big, embarrassing crush on her. And this was her telling him that she didn’t feel the same way. 

“You did?” he asked, his voice weaker than usual. She inhaled and nodded awkwardly.

“Yeah… when you were with that Panther girl…”

_Oh._

_OH._

He remembered what she was talking about, suddenly becoming much more relaxed and sighing with relief. “Oh, right! I completely forgot about that.”

“Yeah…” she paused. “Y’know, if you’re interested in one of the Panthers, I don’t wanna stand in your way. I know there’s the whole rivalry thing, and the beef with Kira, and whatever, but I really don’t mind.” Her act wasn’t convincing. Marty raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed. “I really don’t! If you _like_ one of the Panthers, whether it’s Maddy or… Kira... “ she tensed at the discussion of Marty liking her cheering nemesis. “... you should shoot your shot. As long as it doesn’t mess with _our_ stuff.”

Marty’s heart bloomed with hope. “_Our_ stuff?”

“Our cheering?”

“Oh. Right.” They both stretched in silence for a little longer, before Marty spoke again: “I’m not interested in any of the Panthers.”

Buffy met his eyes. She smiled slightly. “You’re not?”

“I’m interested in the _Tigers_,” Marty explained, surprising Buffy. “That’s all that’s important to me right now.” 

Buffy nodded, blushing slightly, and went away to start warming up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finishing the next chapter legit now so...,,. that's happening tonight. But have some Muffy for now anywho.


	9. Cocky Assholes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6. TJ gives some words of encouragement to the Tigers. Cyrus and TJ's friendship experiences a few shifts.

It was the sixth day of cheer camp, the first week already drawing to a close. Practice was good, but as the competition drew closer, the stress was beginning to get to some of the Tigers. This pushed them forward, but also made them sloppy with nervousness. They had their routine figured out, and it worked for them. It played to their strengths, which is all you can ask for when you’re the squad that _constantly_ comes in last place. If the routine was done right, it looked beautiful; like an elaborately choreographed dance number, in one of those stupid musicals Amber’s always watching. It was impressive, lively, fast-paced. But the Panther’s routine was more impressive, more lively, more fast-paced. TJ and Marty were great at being bases, throwing the Tigers higher than ever before. But the Panther’s were somehow even higher. With the bases covered, Buffy was now able to secure her place as the flyer: the cheerleader who is on top of each stunt. She was perfectly suited for this, with excellent posture, stamina and core strength. But Kira, the Panther’s flyer, always made her cheers feel insignificant.

During practice, the squad was shaky at best, unbearable to watch at worst. 

“One, two, three, four,” Buffy counted, keeping them in sync. “Five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven-”

“Ah!” Amber, who was holding Natalie up in the air, yelped. She fell backwards, Natalie falling on top of her. The rest of the formation came apart, helping Natalie off of her team mate.

Andi ran over especially fast, pulling Amber up into a hug. “Are you okay?” she asked. The rest of the squad was crowded around her, ready to provide help wherever necessary.

“I’m fine, I’m fine…” she paused, hopelessness filling her eyes. “Sorry, guys, I just suck.”

“It’s not just you,” Natalie supplied. “We all kinda suck.”

“Yeah, we’re not good at all.” Iris agreed. “And I don’t think we’ll ever go through to States…” Buffy looked around at her teammates, as they murmured in agreement, surprised that they all felt this way. Iris continued, abruptly: “Unless you guys wanna try steroids, which I’m totally open to.”

“What?” the girls asked, in unison.

“I’m just sayin.”

“Hey,” TJ interrupted. “Stop talking like that!”

“But it’s true,” Cyrus told him. “We’re just not as good as the other teams.” Cyrus’ point led to another murmur of agreement, which was, again, interrupted by TJ.

“Stop! Enough of that!” TJ was shocked; he never heard this kind of talk in basketball practice. “What do the Panthers have that you don’t have?”

“Skills,” said Andi.

“Athleticism,” said Cyrus.

“Laser hair removal,” said Natalie.

“Kick-ass cheers,” said Buffy.

“Big ass titties,” said Iris.

“Huh?” the squad questioned, in unison.

“I’m just sayin.”

“_CONFIDENCE!_” TJ finally answered for them. “They’re cocky _assholes_. That’s why their cheers look so much better. Take Marty,” He gestured at Marty. “He’s the cockiest asshole on the basketball court- that’s why he’s so good.”

“Yeah, he’s right, I’m dope as shit,” Marty agreed, cockily.

“Because he believes in himself!”

“Also, because I’m awesome.”

“It’s not because he studies the plays and practices more than the rest of us- although we would _appreciate_ it if he did!” TJ hinted at Marty, loudly. Marty scoffed at him, turning away from his comments.

“Okay, snitch.”

“Marty _knows_ he’s gonna be good, so he’s good. He takes chances. Either bet big, or go home. If you don't wanna take any chances, then you shouldn't even _be_ here. I _know_ you wanna be here, though, because you finish last every single year... but you keep coming back... even if it means taking endless shit from the Panthers. _We_ need to be the cocky assholes, if we wanna win.”

Buffy clapped, getting into the spirit. She stood next to TJ and joined him in encouraging the squad: “You know what? He’s right! We should be cocky assholes. And _I_ can say that because I am the best cheerleader here,” Buffy bragged, making Marty cough a laugh into his hand. “So you can all suck my dick!”

Silence. 

The cheerleaders awkwardly looked at eachother, before Buffy reassured them: “Guys, I was just being a cocky asshole.”

There was a relieved, understanding ‘Ohhhh’ from the rest of the Tigers, loud enough for Marty to be able to move over to Buffy and whisper “Nice save, cocky asshole.” Buffy playfully nudged him with her elbow.

“Nice one, Buffy!” TJ applauded Buffy’s attitude. “Did you guys see what she did there? That’s exactly what we want from everybody, for the next eight days.”

TJ’s speech received some encouraging “Yeah!”’s from various members of the team, and Cyrus was looking at him with a smile of admiration. They all gathered around in a circle, put their hands together for a ‘one, two, three, tigers!’, and Buffy told them to take a ten minute break.

TJ walked outside of the gymnasium they were practicing in, deciding to spend his break outside, when he heard his favourite voice calling his name.

“TJ!” Cyrus called, making TJ stop and turn around. “TJ! Wait for me!” Cyrus ran over to where TJ was standing, slightly out of breath. “Can I walk with you?”

“Sure.” TJ replied. He couldn’t help the warmth that flooded his face and pooled in his stomach. He smiled, letting his arms dangle by his sides in the hope that he might brush hands with the other boy.

They walked in silence for a few seconds, before Cyrus began speaking: “That was really cool. What you said in there. About, like, being cocky, and stuff. I think we needed that…”

“Thanks. _You_ definitely needed it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cyrus asked with furrowed brows, making TJ laugh.

“The first time I met you! You were all like…” TJ shifted to a lower, sadder register, for his impression of Cyrus. “...’I guess I’m kinda… sorta… maybe… a little good.’”

“Oh, jeez, I sound like that?”

“No, Cyrus,” TJ rolled his eyes at Cyrus’ avoidance. “You don’t sound like that. But that is _not_ the point! You are…” 

TJ wanted to compliment him. He wanted this person, who made him feel so light, to know how special he was, but TJ was unsure of whether it would be a good idea; if he gave his crush away, it could ruin the newfound friendship he had built, and had come to treasure. However, he ultimately decided that he wanted Cyrus to be happy, even if it wasn’t _with_ TJ. 

TJ continued: “You’re smart. And cool-” Cyrus scoffed, already a blushing mess. “-and sweet and extremely talented and… kinda hot!” TJ said the last one faster than the others, pushing himself before he could run out of bravery. 

“Oh, my God…” Cyrus exclaimed, mostly to himself, hiding his embarrassed face. 

“And you’re an amazing cheerleader,” TJ continued. “Not just _kinda_ good- amazing.”

“... Really?” Cyrus poked an eye through the fingers he was using to hide his face. “You really mean that?” He swallowed, bringing his hands down from his face, tilting his head. “All of that?”

“Yeah,” TJ said, sincerely. “I really do.” 

Cyrus paused for a while, before saying: “Well, I… feel the same way about you.” 

Cyrus refused to make eye contact with TJ now. The symbolism wasn’t lost on him. _I feel the same way._ TJ hoped to God he wasn’t misreading the situation.

“Yeah?" TJ spoke nervously, his heart skipping, his words barely a whisper. He found himself to be a twitching, fidgeting mess, as he spoke. "Like… Like, _all_ of that? _All_ of what I said?” The implication was obvious and it hung in the air, like fog. Cyrus looked away, nervously contemplating his words.

Their fingers brushed together, sending sparks up TJ’s arm, before Cyrus replied: “Mmhmm…”, still not making eye contact.

_Holy shit.___

_ _“Oh,” TJ replied. _Holy shit._ “Cool!”_ _

_ _TJ mentally slapped himself. A voice in his head, that sounded an awful lot like Marty, said:  
_’COOL? Cool, you dumbass? Cool?!’__ _

_ _Despite his awkward response, Cyrus smiled at TJ’s words; they were enough for him. He repeated, softly: “Cool.” and let his fingers brush against TJ’s again, more obviously this time._ _

_ _After they continued their walk silently for another few minutes, TJ psyched himself up to speak again. It was movie night that night, which consists of three hundred, or so, teenagers positioned in front of a giant projector screen for two hours. TJ was going to ask if they could sit together._ _

_ _He wasn’t going to use the word date- not _yet_\- but he felt confident enough that Cyrus would understand what he was referring to._ _

_ _ _’Okay, TJ, it’s now or never.’_ _ _

_ _

_ _ _’You’ve gotta ask him.’_ _ _

_ _

_ _ _’You’ve gotta risk it to get the biscuit.’_ _ _

_ _

_ _ _’Three, two, one…’_ _ _

_ _

_ _ _’Now!_ _ _

_ _

_ _“So, do you wanna, maybe-- Oh, fuck!” TJ was interrupted by a flying tennis ball smacking against his face. Cyrus looked down at him in concern, rushing to look at where he was hit. In the distance, TJ heard a ‘Sorry!’, which he waved off. _ _

_ _

_ _TJ tried to reassure Cyrus that he was fine, but apparently his lip was ‘bleeding’, or whatever. Cyrus rushed back to the gymnasium, telling Buffy to put practice on hold for a while, grabbed his first aid kit and was by TJ’s side again in minutes. _ _

_ _“Ow, shit!” TJ whined, as Cyrus dabbed something against his bloody lip. “That stings!”_ _

_ _“I know it does,” Cyrus said, maintaining a concentrated face. They were both sat on the ground, where they left off, different teams practising around them- including the Panthers._ _

_ _“Where’d you get the first aid kit?” TJ asked, looking down._ _

_ _“A friend gave it to me,” Cyrus answered. Their faces were extremely close and, in the light, TJ could see every beautiful detail on Cyrus’ face. He smiled, and Cyrus said: “Stop that! You’re just making it bleed more.”_ _

_ _Cyrus’ light breaths were feathering against TJ’s skin. His fingers were touching TJ’s lips, ever so slightly. The dull pain in his mouth still hadn’t subsided, but TJ didn’t care. He had never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his life._ _

_ _Cyrus pulled back for a moment, roaming over TJ’s face with his eyes. _ _

_ _“I feel like you’re analysing me,” TJ commented, softly, trying to keep himself from laughing and losing more blood._ _

_ _“I am.”_ _

_ _“Is there a bruise? Will it affect the tournament? Will the judges deduct points if I lose my handsome looks?”_ _

_ _“No,” Cyrus answered, laughing. “That would be unprofessional. And there is some bruising, but don’t worry about it… you look… rugged.”_ _

_ _TJ raised his eyebrows and smiled widely, unable to keep a straight face, no matter how painful.  
“_Rugged_?! Jesus, I’ve never heard _that_ one before.” Cyrus was laughing loudly, somewhat out of embarrassment. “Shut the fuck up. _Rugged_; you’re full of shit.”_ _

_ _“I am not!” Cyrus defended. “And quit moving your face!” _ _

_ _Cyrus cupped TJ’s face in his hands. He pursed his lips, looking down at TJ’s mouth, which was hanging slightly agape. _ _

_ _Cyrus brought his thumb down, wiping it along his bottom lip, smearing away hot blood. TJ’s heart was beating out of his chest, and he knew Cyrus could feel it. For once, he didn’t care. _ _

_ _“I love it when you take care of me,” TJ confessed in a whisper, as Cyrus trailed along his mouth._ _

_ _“I love taking care of you.”_ _

_ _

_ _Everything was serene. They had no idea they were being watched._ _

_ _

_ _Movie night happened. Cyrus agreed to sit with TJ, which he kind of expected, but was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. TJ watched as Cyrus recited every word from _Bring It On_ off by heart. The other cheerleader’s did it too, but TJ liked the way Cyrus did it the most. They held hands, fingers tightly intertwined, like barbed wire. Cyrus would run his fingers along TJ’s hand, making him nervous, making him calm. Cyrus’ head came to rest on TJ’s shoulder, at one point, and TJ’s heart had never felt more full._ _

_ _

_ _Later that night, he arrived at the bunk to find it empty, except for Gus, in the corner, and Marty on his bed, scrolling through his phone. When TJ came in, he laid his back against the wall, sighing contently._ _

_ _“Uh, bro, what the shit?” Marty asked, with accusatory eyes. “Where were you tonight? I thought we were sitting together?”_ _

_ _“I was with Cyrus…” TJ loved the way his name sounded. He wanted to savour each syllable. _ _

_ _“Oh, well _yippee_ for you!” Marty said, sarcastically. TJ hadn’t had the chance to tell Marty that it was a _date_ between him and Cyrus. “Meanwhile, I’m stuck with _Gus_ all night, eating greasy popcorn in the back row!” TJ wandered dreamily to sit on his own bed, as Marty continued to rant. “Y’know, he handed me popcorn all night, letting me think it came from the bag. Turns out it was _loose_ in his _costume_! He has _loose_ pieces of popcorn rolling around in his _eagle suit_. And I fucking _ate_ that shit.” A sad eagle noise was suddenly heard from the corner of the room. “Oh, my God, Gus, shut up. Shut up, or I swear, I’m gonna freak out. I’m gonna freak out. You fed me suit popcorn, you dick.”_ _

_ _“So,” TJ began, unsure of how to enter the conversation. “I see you had an eventful night.”_ _

_ _“You shoulda been there to protect me, bro.” Marty whined. “Whatever. Anyway, how was your night? What’d you do with Cyrus?”_ _

_ _“We went to movie night…” he began, already smiling. “But… as a… date.”_ _

_ _That was all it took for Marty to drop any negative attitude he had against his best friend. His mouth formed an ‘O’ shape and he leapt over to TJ’s bed, jumping up and down._ _

_ _“Holy shit, man! You got on the horse! You went on a date! You got on the _motherfucking_ horse!” He crouched down behind his friend, wrapping his arms around him. “I’m so proud of you, you gay bitch.”_ _

_ _TJ laughed, making his lip ache. “Thanks-”_ _

_ _“Hold up!” Marty interrupted, letting go of TJ and walking around to face him. “Cyrus goes to Grant!” TJ nodded. “What the hell, man? You’re full of shit! What happened to all that _’Oh, there’s no restaurant called The Bathroom’_ bullshit?”_ _

_ _“I don’t care about that anymore, man. Don’t ask me for advice; I’m just _some_ guy.”_ _

_ _“Unbelievable. I could’ve been dating Driscoll this whole time.”_ _

_ _“No, you couldn’t have.”_ _

_ _“You’re right, she’s way out of my league.”_ _

_ _The two smiled, bringing each other in for a bro-handshake, when Cyrus walked in. TJ immediately locked eyes with him, as he lingered in the doorway. Cyrus motioned for TJ to come out, so he made for the door. Marty watched him leave, an amazed smile gracing his face._ _

_ _“This is fuckin _bananas._” he acknowledged, before turning the light off and calling it a night._ _

_ _

_ _Outside, Cyrus led TJ around the corner of the dorm, holding hands the whole way. He stopped walking at a spot by a water pipe. _ _

_ _“Hey,” TJ began. “So tonight was--”. He was immediately interrupted by Cyrus wrapping his arms around TJ’s neck and kissing him. TJ shut his eyes and grabbed Cyrus’ waist, lifting him up onto his tip toes. Burning heat seared at his lips and burned on his fingertips, where he was touching Cyrus._ _

_ _The kiss took TJ’s breath away, but didn’t catch him off guard; he had been waiting for this all week. Or maybe since middle school._ _

_ _Unfortunately, Cyrus pulled back, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, that was-”. And TJ pulled him in for another kiss, this time closer, with practically no distance between them. He held Cyrus tightly against the wall, his kissing desperate and feverish. He could taste his lip bleeding again, but neither of them pointed it out._ _

_ _When TJ pulled away, Cyrus’ eyes remained shut for a moment, before they made close eye contact. The night was incredibly still, just like the first night of camp, when TJ whispered: “I _really_ like you, Cy.”_ _

_ _It seemed stupid to say, as he had made his feelings completely clear by this point, but he was glad he said it. Cyrus’ eyes crinkled when he smiled, and he whispered back a: “Really?”_ _

_ _TJ lightly pressed his forehead against Cyrus’._ _

_ _“Really.”_ _

_ _

_ _The two boys giddily skipped back to their bunks, hands swinging together, unable to keep their eyes off each other. Cyrus stopped outside the door, needing to answer a sudden phone call. TJ nodded his understanding and said goodnight. _ _

_ _The next time the boys’ saw each other was on their seventh day in camp. When TJ woke from a peaceful sleep, he watched Cyrus walk frantically around the room, which was full of golden light. He was cleaning up, putting things on shelves and back in boxes, presumably for Jonah, who can’t _stand_ clutter. TJ smiled fondly at the sight._ _

_ _“Morning,” he greeted. Cyrus looked up at him, but without the same kind look he had worn yesterday. He froze, staring at TJ, like he was unsure how to approach him._ _

_ _“Mmhm,” was the greeting Cyrus went with, before looking back down at his cleaning. Something inside TJ twisted with worry, but he told himself he was just being delusional._ _

_ _“Expecting company?” TJ joked. Cyrus looked up again, furrowing his brows in confusion._ _

_ _“Huh?”_ _

_ _“What’s-uh-what’s with the cleaning?”_ _

_ _“Just… nervous... y’know, about practice.” _ _

_ _TJ nodded, but he knew something was wrong. Cyrus was giving him the cold shoulder, barely acknowledging his presence. TJ could still feel Cyrus’ lips on his, and yet he felt like they were suddenly total strangers. TJ didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he couldn’t stop the sick feeling from rising in his throat. _Did Cyrus regret it?__ _

_ _“Hey, are you okay?” TJ attempted to ask, but Cyrus was already dashing out of the door._ _

_ _“I gotta go have breakfast with Andi.” _ _

_ _And he was gone. Without a goodbye. _ _

_ _TJ’s heart was beating fast again, but for all the wrong reasons._ _

_ _

_ _Practice was better, but it was obvious that people were distracted. Yes, TJ was distracted, but Cyrus too. _And_ the rest of the squad. In one of the gym bags, by the wall, someone’s phone had been beeping on and off for an hour. Everyone tried not to let it bother them, but everyone’s frustration was visible on their face. _ _

_ _“One, two, three, four,” Buffy counted again, trying to make her voice louder than the incessant beeping from the wall. “Five, six, seven-” she stopped counting, suddenly, and the rest of the squad went still. The spectral third party continued to beep through the silence. “Cyrus!” _Cyrus?_ TJ turned to face the boy, who was frozen, mid-lift, his feet in Iris’ hands. “This is ridiculous. Turn your phone _off_, this is _practice_.”_ _

_ _Cyrus threw a nervous and apologetic look at the captain, and began to climb down Iris. Just as his feet touched the floor, a fourth party was heard, outside the gymnasium. Accompanying the beeping of the phone was the threatening revving of an engine. The whole squad looked towards the door, wondering who was outside. Cyrus went pale, looking at TJ for a second before looking away. _ _

_ _“You guys wait here,” he told everyone, his voice quiet yet firm. “I’ll go and see who it is.”_ _

_ _The second Cyrus was out the door, TJ knew something bad was going to happen. Whether it be the sun exploding, or another tennis ball to the face, he knew something bad was waiting for him outside that door. And yet, as he gently placed Natalie on the floor, he knew he had to go and see what it was._ _

_ _

_ _Outside, TJ found the source of the engine noises. It was a blonde boy, maybe a year older than he is, straddling a motorcycle. Cyrus was standing beside him, smiling slightly and chatting up at him. TJ looked at them in confusion, wrapping his arms around himself, suddenly feeling the need for protection. He began walking towards the two, and when Cyrus saw him, his smile was gone in an instant. The blonde boy, however, sported a cocky grin, his eyes full of malice, when he said:_ _

_ _“Hey, you must be TJ. I’m Cyrus’ boyfriend.”_ _

_ _

_ _And there it was. TJ’s blood ran cold._ _

_ _

_ _ _Cyrus had a fucking boyfriend._ _ _


	10. Doctor Reed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7. The boys meet Cyrus' boyfriend. Marty has an plan to put TJ in a better mood.

“Hey, you must be TJ. I’m Cyrus’ boyfriend.”

When TJ first heard the words, out of that blonde asshole’s mouth, he wanted to cry. His mouth hung open and he stared at Cyrus, his eyes almost filling up with tears. The sweetest person ever, the person he felt _so_ connected to, had lied to him. Last night meant _nothing_. Cyrus didn’t like him; he didn’t even say he liked him. Cyrus had a boyfriend. TJ couldn’t remember a time he had felt more sad. And hurt. And betrayed. 

He also wanted to yell. He wanted to scream at Cyrus, with tears streaming down his cheeks, and ask him why he would mess with TJ like that. He wanted to look this _boyfriend_ in his stupid face and tell him everything that happened last night. But Cyrus’ desperate eyes begged him not to.

So instead of doing any of these things, he pushed his sadness aside and let anger take its place.

“Oh, yeah?” He folded his arms, raised his eyebrows and let out a humourless laugh. “Funny; he never mentioned a boyfriend.” He kept his eyes on Cyrus the whole time, his glare full of accusation. “Cyrus, we gotta practice,” Cyrus swallowed out of fear and regret. “You can kiss your _boyfriend_ later”. He knew it was a low blow, but he didn’t care. The boyfriend looked at him like he was the scum of the earth.

“Whatever,” he spat, putting his helmet on and revving his engine again. “Later!” he yelled, before riding away, leaving a dirty trail where the wheels were destroying the grass in his path. Coach Mack chased after the biker, yelling that he wasn’t allowed to ride on the grass, but he was gone in an instant, his engine still audible over her yells.

After he left, Cyrus tried to call out to TJ: “TJ, wait!” he called weakly, his voice strained and teary. TJ looked at Cyrus’ eyes, which were full of guilt, and blinked away tears.

“Save it,” he said bluntly, turning back to the gymnasium, leaving Cyrus sniffling and wiping his eyes.

Cyrus didn’t talk to him for most of the day, and TJ forced himself not to care. He was constantly receiving looks from Cyrus, like he _wanted_ to come over and talk, but it never actually happened. That was probably a good thing; TJ was in a shitty mindset. He was full of anger and betrayal and just wanted to clear his head. 

It turned out, cheerleading was good for getting your mind off of stuff. During practice, TJ kept a determined, stoic expression, as he concentrated on keeping his moves tight and perfect. He didn’t have time to think about Cyrus or the kiss or that stupid biker kid, when his focus was entirely on the routine. He didn’t join in when the group would yell cheers, which caught the attention of some of his squad. Of course, Marty and Amber looked at him worriedly, but they knew that there was no use in asking about it when TJ was in one of his _moods_. Buffy, however, didn’t know this, and came up to him at the end of practice.

“Hey, Tiger,” she greeted cautiously, as TJ was collecting his gym bag. “You doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” he mumbled, shrugging. 

“Tell your face,” she laughed, but it got no response from TJ. He began to walk towards the exit, but she followed him. “You were really quiet during practice…” she paused, still trailing after him. “Weren’t really coming off like a _cocky asshole_.”

TJ knew it was a joke, but nothing felt funny at that moment. “Sorry, I’ll work on that,” he answered, still walking away from her.

“I was kidding… What’s going on, TJ?”

“Nothing,” he lied, sounding exasperated. 

He thought, for a second, that Buffy might actually be a good person to talk to about this: she was bestfriends with Cyrus, and could probably provide an explanation. He turned around, startling her.

“Did you _know_ Cyrus had a boyfriend?” he asked, his expression sad, his eyes still not meeting hers.

“Huh?” she questioned, looking at him with a confused frown. He immediately regretted asking his question, and resumed his stomping away. 

“Nevermind,” he muttered. Buffy didn’t follow him this time, stood still on the grass, and TJ walked purposefully back to his bunk in silence.

“Wait, TJ!” Buffy called out. TJ stopped, turned around and saw Buffy stood still. She looked at him apologetically, before saying: “You did great today.”

For some reason, that made TJ’s eyes water and his throat go tight. He wasn’t sure he agreed with her, but he was grateful for her telling him that. He nodded a thankyou, and they shared a smile, a new level of understanding between them.

TJ skipped work outs that day and stuck around in his bunk for hours. No one was there; most people exercising or practicing or spending time with their friends. At lunch, him and Marty sat alone, rather than with the Tigers. He looked up from the table, at one point, and noticed Cyrus on the edge of the group, playing with his food with his fork. When he looked up, forlornly making eye contact with TJ, he immediately looked away. He sat in silence, Marty mostly talking _at_ him, because he wouldn’t contribute to the conversation. 

“Dude!” Marty yelled, banging on the table to get TJ’s attention. “I just said, like, the funniest shit ever, and you weren’t even listening to me! Bad friend alert.”

“_Sorry_,” TJ rolled his eyes. “What was the joke?”

“The moment’s gone, asshole, it doesn’t matter. Are you gonna tell me what’s up? Because something is _definitely_ up.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it, okay? Can we just drop it?”

Marty sighed. “Fine… But can you at least stop moping; your vibes are _rancid_.”

“Whoa, big word.”

“I know, right. Think I should take up poetry?” he joked.

“You asked me how to spell tiger, literally last week.”

Marty snorted. “Whatever, man, everything’s all emojis and autocorrect now, anyways. I don’t need spelling; I’m all digital, baby.” 

"But you're on the Tigers' ball team. It's literally on your Jersey." 

"Shut up, dude, that's your problem." TJ laughed, ready to go back to sitting in silence. Marty continued: “But seriously, dude, your vibes are making my food taste like coal.”

“I can’t help that, alright!” TJ explained, annoyed. “Can’t I just be in a bad mood, for _one_ day?”

“No! You’re a cheerleader, with no cheer-”

“We’re not cheerleaders, Marty!” TJ whispered, viciously. “We’re ball players, in case you forgot.”

“I didn’t forget, alright. But can’t we just _do_ something tonight? _Try_ and make you happier?” Marty leaned his cheek on his hand, pouting his lips, making TJ chuckle. “I miss my boy.”

“Sure,” TJ said, fondly. “What do you wanna do, then? What could we _possibly_ do?”

Marty thought for a minute, before answering:

“Wanna go swimming?”

“_More_ exercise? Ew, no thanks.”

“No, not in the pool; in the _lake_. Like, night swimming. We could invite a bunch of the cheerleader’s, you could bring Cyrus-”

“_Not_ Cyrus,” TJ interrupted, his firm voice making Marty raise his eyebrows. Thankfully, Marty didn’t push TJ to explain.

“Okay… no Cyrus. But _other_ cheerleaders.” Marty paused, pondering what could make this more fun. “We could go skinny dipping! Cross that off our bucket list”

“What? No, I’m not getting _naked_.”

“No, I mean, like, in our underwear.”

“Is that still skinny dipping?”

“Sure, it is.”

“Isn’t that just the same as wearing swimming stuff? Can’t I just wear my swimming shorts?”

“Teej, would you just let me have this? Okay? Can I just have this _one_ thing?”

TJ scoffed. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll do it, if you get other people to come; I’m not just pissing around, alone in the lake, like an asshole.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Marty smiled, but TJ rolled his eyes.

“No one’s gonna agree to _skinny dipping_ in the _lake_,” TJ argued, sure of himself.

Out of nowhere, Jonah sat down beside TJ and said, with an eager smile: “Did someone say skinny dipping in the lake?”

That night, TJ and Marty snuck out of their bunks, and headed towards the lake. The air was full of a quiet chill and the sky was pitch black. The sprinklers cut through the silence, watering the expansive field, and the occasional lamp post was guiding their path. To get to the lake they had to walk across the field and down some steps, which mark the edge of the campus. Then they had to cross a road and the lake was only a short distance away. 

“So, why didn’t Buffy wanna come tonight?” TJ asked, as they approached the edge of campus.

Marty scoffed, before answering: “She thinks she’s too good for _lake_ water, or some shit, I don’t know.”

“Her loss, dude. Hey- wanna do a little contest? First to find a frog wins?”

“Holy shit, if I find a frog I’ll- hey, is that Goodman?”

Sure enough, at the bottom of the steps, by the side of the road, was Cyrus. His bag was slung over his shoulder and he was typing away on his phone. _’Probably to his boyfriend,’ TJ thought, pettily. _

“Hey!” Marty, and his _big fucking_ mouth, called over to Cyrus. “What are _you_ doing out of bed?” 

Cyrus looked up, shocked, and bit his lip when he saw TJ. Their eyes met, both full of longing. Unspoken secrets and regrets hung in the air, which Marty was oblivious to. They moved down the steps, towards Cyrus, and TJ hated himself for still feeling that same burn in the pit of his stomach. He so badly wanted to hate Cyrus, for how much he had screwed him over. But the reasons for kissing him last night hadn’t faded. He still felt drawn to him. He still liked him, no matter how stupid he felt for it. 

_ _He has a fucking BOYFRIEND._ _

_ _“I could ask you guys the same thing,” Cyrus joked back to Marty. He turned to look only at TJ. “Hey, Teej.” He spoke so softly, making TJ ache._ _

_ _“Hey, Cy.” TJ said bluntly, but he knew his eyes were full of emotion, as he looked at the ground._ _

_ _Suddenly, the familiar roar of an engine became louder and louder, as the _boyfriend_ pulled up, on his motorcycle. Cyrus pulled his eyes away from TJ, running over to the biker when he came to a stop, pulling his helmet off._ _

“Reed!” he greeted, smiling slightly. Abruptly, Reed pulled him in for a weird, sloppy kiss. It went on for a while and Cyrus didn’t look completely invested in it, occasionally opening his eyes. It was _awkward_, to say the least. 

_ _

_ _As they were both distracted, Marty turned to TJ and whispered: “Who’s the face-eater?”, in a confused tone, his eyebrows furrowed._ _

_ _TJ inhaled before answering: “Cyrus’ boyfriend.” _ _

_ _“Goodman has a boyfriend? I thought you guys went on a date, last night?” Marty still looked confused._ _

_ _“We did.” TJ’s voice was one of defeat. Marty looked at him with wide eyes._ _

“Holy _shit_! Two-timing Goodman?” 

_ _“Mhmm” TJ nodded, solemnly._ _

_ _“Wow… why are men great till they gotta be great, am I right?”_ _

_ _“Shut up, Marty.”_ _

_ _

_ _When Reed pulled away from Cyrus, wiping his mouth, Cyrus introduced Reed, officially._ _

_ _“Guys,” he began. “This is my boyfriend.” Again, he held eye contact with TJ. He was sending him a silent apology, one that TJ simply couldn’t stomach._ _

_ _“Pre-fiancé, actually,” Reed corrected, earning strange looks from TJ and Marty._ _

_ _“I’m Marty,” he introduced himself to Reed. “This is TJ.”_ _

_ _“Yeah, we met…” Reed’s eyes squinted with suspicion. “What’s up, guys. I’m _Doctor_ Reed.” He brought his fist up for an obnoxious pound, from the two boys, which they both accepted reluctantly._ _

_ _“Doctor?” TJ laughed. “What are you, Doogie Howser?” His joke earned a laugh from Marty, the two bumping shoulders. Reed did _not_ look amused. He looked around, as if to be searching for the joke’s meaning._ _

_ _Awkward silence._ _

_ _TJ elaborated: “...the kid doctor?”_ _

_ _“My name's Reed.”_ _

_ _“Yeah, yeah, I know, it was just-”_ _

_ _“Why’d you call me Doogie, bro?”_ _

_ _Marty intervened: “He means aren’t you, like, a little young to be a doctor?”_ _

_ _“He’s studying medicine at Illinois, next year,” Cyrus explained._ _

“So, why do you call yourself _Doctor Reed_?” TJ challenged. 

“Why put off the _inevitable_?.” He suddenly moved uncomfortably close to Marty, making him move his head back slightly and raise a confused eyebrow. _'Doctor'_ Reed was eyeing up the _tiny_ mole, on Marty’s cheek. “You should really get that _mole_ checked out.” He backed away, smiling smugly. He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. “I would do it myself, but I haven’t got my _bag_ on me.” 

"Your bag?" Marty asked incredulously. "What bag? You're not a doctor-"

_ _“So,” TJ intervened loudly, before anyone got too riled up. “How’d you two meet, anyways?” He gestured between Cyrus and Reed._ _

_ _Cyrus was about to speak, when Reed interrupted him. “It’s a funny story, actually... Our parents knew each other, way back, and they introduced us... “ He opened his mouth, like he was going to add more to this ‘funny’ story. Then he closed it and the story was over._ _

_ _Another awkward silence._ _

_ _“Not really a funny story.” TJ insulted._ _

_ _“Not even a story, really,” Marty agreed. “Just, like, a fact.”_ _

_ _Reed ignored them, turning to Cyrus. “We should hit the road, babe.”_ _

_ _Cyrus nodded. “Okay, one sec,” he turned to Marty. “I have something for you!” He reached into his bag, fishing out the pair of flip flops that Marty gave to Buffy. “Her’s came through, so she doesn’t need these anymore.”_ _

_ _Marty accepted them with a smile. As Cyrus hopped on the back of Reed’s motorcycle, he eyed Marty’s flip-flops and feet critically._ _

_ _“Your feet are, like, hella small, dude,” he laughed. TJ stepped in front of his best friend, feeling protective._ _

“Shut up, man,” TJ defended. “What’s your shoe size, like a _seven_?” 

_ _“Ten and a half, bucko,” Reed announced proudly, putting his helmet on. He revved his engine, Cyrus clinging to his middle, but he didn’t drive away yet. He flipped the glass of his helmet up, to deliver one, final, devastating line:_ _

_ _“Eleven, in crocs.”_ _

_ _And they were gone, leaving a cloud of fumes for TJ and Marty to linger in._ _

_ _

_ _The lake really did take TJ’s mind off of things, for the most part. It was probably just because he was ridiculously cold. Andi and Amber had chosen to join, so the four of them practiced some of their lifts in the water. That was until Marty slipped, and they all splashed into the lake. Cheerleaders from other squads joined as well, including two of the Panthers: Kira and Maddy. It was a fun change of pace; all laughter and splashing and exhilaration. At one point, Marty went away with Lanie, the first girl he hooked up with, and TJ gave him a knowing look when they returned._ _

_ _Even later in the night, Maddy and Marty split away from the group. She and him were doing underwater handstands, seeing who could do it the longest. _ _

_ _“This is great,” Maddy commented, looking at Marty with a flirty smile._ _

“Yeah, this _is_ great!” Marty agreed, not noticing her flirtatiousness. “This is great for our cheering. It’s the water resistance, y’know? It helps strengthen; there’s twice the compound, half the measure-” 

_ _Suddenly, Maddy’s lips were digging into his. He pushed her off, but she remained close to his face. _ _

_ _“Marty,” she said. “Enough. Drop the act.”_ _

_ _“What are you talking about?”_ _

She laughed. “I know you don’t care about cheering!” _What?_ Marty made a confused face. “There are like _four_ guys who are into girls, at this camp, and three hundred girls. We all know you wouldn’t be here, with the _Tigers_ no less, if it weren’t for that.” 

Wow. _’It’s true, but she didn’t have to say it like that.’_ Marty suddenly felt incredibly exposed. He looked around, like Buffy might be dangling from one of the trees watching him. She, of course, wasn’t there, but that didn’t matter. He remembered the look of hurt on her face, after she saw them together the first time, and that was enough to make him push Maddy away. He swam off, in the other direction, and searched for TJ in the dark water. 

_ _“The fuck?” Maddy exclaimed. “Are you gay, or something?”_ _

_ _“Sure, let’s go with that,” Marty shouted back to her, wanting to get away from this conversation._ _

_ _

_ _When he found TJ, the majority of the swimmers have left and some were in the middle of getting out. He told TJ that he wanted to go, and so they clambered out. They scoured the ground for their clothes… but they were gone._ _

_ _“Where are our clothes?” TJ whisper-shouted, in disbelief. The two of them awkwardly hid behind a bush._ _

_ _“We left them right here!”_ _

_ _“I know! That’s why I’m asking _where are our clothes?_”_ _

_ _Marty only had one conclusion: “They were stolen.”_ _

_ _“_What?!_”_ _

_ _“It was probably _fucking_ Maddy.”_ _

_ _“Who?!”_ _

_ _“It doesn’t matter,” Marty explained, shaking with cold determination, looking his friend in the eye. “We only have one option now… We gotta make a run for it.”_ _

_ _

_ _And that’s how Marty and TJ ended up sprinting across the field, at 2AM, in their underwear. Marty was in a vest and shorts, while TJ was bearing it all in only his boxers, the freezing sprinkler water splashing their feet. TJ turned to Marty, talking to him breathily, as they ran. _ _

_ _“So, how were they?” he asked, suggestively. Marty didn’t know what he was talking about._ _

_ _“How was who?” he asked back._ _

_ _“The girls you went off with!”_ _

_ _“Oh, Maddy? Pfft. She’s the worst. Nothing happened with her.”_ _

_ _“Oh? Well, what about the other girl? The- uh- the tinder girl?”_ _

_ _“Oh, you mean Lanie? She was great! We just talked. She’s really nice. Her grandma lives in Shadyside, actually. How cool is that? She helped me with my crossover-basket-launches. My extensions are _so_ much better now!”_ _

_ _TJ frowned at his explanation. “I don’t even know who you are, anymore.”_ _

_ _“_Boys!_” an angry, high pitched voice yelled after them. _Coach Mack_. TJ and Marty froze, their eyes wide, and they attempted to shrink in on themselves and cover as much of themselves as possible. Coach Mack stared at this ridiculous sight angrily, hardly believing what she was seeing. “What are you _doing?_ It's way past curfew.”_ _

_ _“We were just…” TJ nervously searched for an explanation. Then, at the same time, the boys looked at their feet and saw four pom poms discarded on the ground. They reached down and grabbed them._ _

_ _“Practicing!” They offered breathlessly, in unison. They pulled the pom poms up to cover themselves._ _

_ _“Like… _this?_” Coach Mack still looked in disbelief._ _

_ _“Yeah!” Marty supported. “We like to do cheers half-naked so that they really sink in!”_ _

_ _“That way our bodies learn it as well as our minds,” TJ added, with a fake grin plastered on. Two boys had never looked more awkward, and more suspicious, speaking in monotone voices and shaking from embarrassment._ _

_ _“Hmm. Interesting technique…” Coach Mack seemed to _actually_ buy this explanation. “I like it! You’re clearly very committed to your cheering.” TJ and Marty breathed a sigh of relief, ready to move on and go to bed, until Coach said: “You may proceed.” _ _

_ _“Proceed with what, running away?” Marty asked, hopefully._ _

_ _“No!” Coach laughed. “With the cheer, you goose!” Then she suddenly dropped her laughter, shifting into angry-coach mode. “Five, six, seven, eight!” She counted them in, letting them know it was time to cheer. So they cheered._ _

_ _”Ready?” Marty shouted, beginning the cheer and getting into position behind TJ. _ _

_ _“Okay!” TJ shouted back, lacking conviction. He waved his pom poms in the air. “Hey, Tigers!”_ _

_ _“Yeah?” Marty shouted back, waving his pom poms behind his friend._ _

_ _“Hey, Tigers!”_ _

_ _“Yeah?”_ _

_ _“What do we like to eat?”_ _

_ _“Panther meat!”_ _

_ _Marty moved to crouch in front of TJ, lifting a pom pom to cover his underwear whenever his friend stepped out from either side of him._ _

_ _“I said, hey, Tigers!” he yelled._ _

_ _“Yeah!” TJ yelled, stepping to the left and being covered up by a pom pom._ _

_ _“Hey, Tigers!” _ _

_ _“Yeah!” TJ stepped to the right, and was covered again. _’Thanks, Marty.’__ _

_ _They looked terrible. The routine was clearly dumbed down and rushed. They put in little effort, mostly focusing on covering themselves with their pom poms, as Coach Mack watched them critically._ _

_ _“Orange, black and white unite!” The boys cheered, in sync. “Tigers, Tigers, fight, fight, fight!”_ _

_ _They ended in an uncomfortable freeze frame, Coach watching them with her arms folded and her face in a scowl._ _

_ _“Your counts are off, your spacing is insane, and your moves sloppier than a kiss from my ex husband!” she screeched, furious. “Take it from the top! Positions!” She clapped and the boys whined as they resumed their starting positions._ _

_ _And that was how TJ and Marty ended up dancing in their underwear, at 2AM, in front of the first Chinese-American cheerleader to compete at nationals._ _

_ _“Five, six, seven, eight!”_ _


	11. Is That A No?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 8. TJ and Marty argue. Marty has two proposals for Buffy. Cyrus offers TJ an explanation.

TJ had collapsed, face first into his bed, after the chaotic events of the seventh night, immediately falling into a long, hazy sleep. This would’ve been fine, if not for the injury that lingered on his lower lip. When he woke, the dull ache of the bruise had only worsened, and his lip had re-opened. He touched the wound, where beads of blood had begun to form, causing a mixture of pleasant and unpleasant memories to flood back.

Before practice, the boys were lazing around outside, on wooden deck chairs. The sun was beating down on them, evoking a complaint from TJ.

“Jesus Christ,” he exclaimed. “Marty, if it gets one degree hotter, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“Thanks, brother.”

“Anytime. The gym better have good AC; our routine was _not_ made for this weather.”

“Oh, shit, wait. Teej, I want your opinion on something!”

“Yeah?”

“I had an idea for the routine. You think Buffy would let me add something, last minute?”

“Yeah, Buffy _really_ seems like the type to change her routine with five days till competition.”

“Great!” Marty smiled, oblivious to TJ’s obvious sarcasm. “So I was thinking- hear me out-”  
And, without warning, Marty got to his feet and started flossing violently. TJ looked around for a moment, wondering if he was hallucinating, or if other people were seeing this. Sure enough, other cheerleaders walked by staring, pointing and laughing. TJ’s mouth hung open as Marty did this, not sure what the correct response was.

“I- I can’t even tell if you’re kidding anymore,” TJ said, making Marty stop mid-floss.

“Well, I know it probably looks stupid _now_, but that’s just because there’s no music playing.”

“Of course.”

“Just imagine this, but with music. And more cheerleaders doing it, too, like all in sync.” Marty started again, this time much faster, making TJ laugh. “Come on!” Marty yelled. “Dude, this could totally work!” After twenty seconds of flossing, with TJ only laughing at him, he was already getting red-faced and sweaty. He stopped, falling backwards onto his deck chair.

“You good?” TJ asked, still laughing.

“Yeah,” Marty informed him breathlessly, fanning himself with his hand. “Shit, man, it better not be this hot on competition day; I’ll, like, collapse after the first fuckin move.”

The two of them laughed quietly, when TJ remembered something.

“Marty, we’re not gonna _be_ at the competition.”

“What?” Marty asked earnestly.

“You got bus tickets? Chris’ party? Remember?”

“Oh… Oh, yeah.” Marty sounded distant, like he wanted to say more. TJ read the look on his friends face, knowing it meant that he didn’t want to leave camp. TJ, unfortunately, didn’t share the same sentiments. 

“You don’t have to sound so mad about it. This was your idea, man: meet girls, and bail for Chris’ cabin. That was _your_ plan.”

“I know, I know. I’m just… I’m not sure about it anymore.”

“What?!” TJ looked at his friend like he had grown two heads. “What are you talking about?”

“Like, I came here to get over Rachel and I’ve done that. And I wanted to hook up with a bunch of girls, but I don’t even know about that anymore.”

“But you were so excited! _Three hundred girls!_” TJ recalled Marty’s words.

“Yeah, but now I’m actually _here_ and I’ve met these girls. I _know_ these girls. They’re like my _friends_.” TJ raised his eyebrows, slightly impressed.

“Whoa.”

“Yeah,” Marty nodded. “This whole plan just feels _wrong_. I can’t help but feel… guilty.”

TJ couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The class clown, the player, the joker felt guilty over a bunch of cheerleaders he met eight days ago. He had a feeling about what may have influenced this change of heart. Or, rather, _who_.

“Is this about Buffy?”

“What? No. Well, I mean, she’s a part of it, I guess, but-”

“I told you, man, messing with Buffy is a dumb idea.”

“Huh?!” Marty jolted upright in his seat.

“Don’t poop where you eat!”

“You literally took that back _two_ days ago.”

“Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have done that, alright? You can’t date someone on the squad. It’ll just get awkward and messy and ruin everything.” He stood up, from his deck chair, looking down at Marty. “We’re _going_ to Chris’ party, okay. We’re not staying for some stupid competition. We’re not even cheerleaders.” Marty then stood up, coming face to face with TJ, his eyebrows furrowed with anger and frustration.

“You’re only saying this because Cyrus fucked you over.”

TJ gave him a hurt look, before turning and storming off. Marty called after him: “Teej, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to say it like that, but you know it’s true.”

TJ turned back to face him. “Alright, maybe it is true,” he shouted back. “But I meant what I said, okay. I got involved with someone on the squad and I got hurt. Now, I regret it. That’s on _me_.” He pointed an accusatory finger at his best friend. “_You_ should be learning from my mistakes!” He turned around, continuing to stomp away.

“Where are you going, asshole?” Marty shouted after him.

“Practice, dumbass.” TJ’s angry reminder made Marty reluctantly follow him.

After practicing their routine for half an hour, making their moves sharper and more precise, Buffy told the squad to take a break. TJ sat alone on a long, low bench and drank from his water bottle. Cyrus moved over to him, nervously.

“Hey…” he greeted, approaching TJ with an anxious smile.

“Hey,” TJ replied, not smiling. He looked up at Cyrus, feeling his eyes zone in on his lip injury.

“Your- uh- your lip looks worse.”

TJ laughed humourlessly. “Thanks.”

“Sorry, I just…” Cyrus looked away, his words trailing off, not bothering to finish his sentence. With guilt eating away at him, he wanted to offer to do something to help TJ. He move forward and touched his own lip. “Do you maybe want me to maybe get the first aid-”

TJ interrupted him harshly, shaking his head. “No.”

Cyrus nodded, realising that probably wasn’t the best thing to say. “Yeah, okay. Sorry…”

“Hey, Cy?” TJ began, looking up at him sadly. The nickname filled Cyrus with hope. “That first aid stuff you used on me, the other day… Did Reed give you that?” 

Cyrus’ chest hurt, not wanting to answer the question, but TJ already knew what he would say.

“Yeah,” Cyrus answered in a whisper. “He did.”

TJ nodded, raising his eyebrows and pursing his lips. “He seems like a _real_ nice guy. Quite a catch.”

Cyrus looked down at the floor and walked away, unable to meet TJ’s judgemental gaze. TJ wished his mean comments made him feel better, but he was just beating a dead horse at this point.

Meanwhile, Marty and Buffy were talking on the other side of the room. They were on the floor, leaning their backs against the wall, their knees occasionally brushing together lightly.

“Okay,” Marty started. “I know it’s a little late notice, _but_ I have an idea for the routine that I _think_ you’ll like-”

“Is it flossing, Marty?” Buffy interrupted, with humourous disbelief. “Is it putting flossing in the routine?”

“What? Yes! How did you-”

“Like _everyone_ saw you do it, earlier today.”

“Oh,” Marty laughed. “So… whaddya think?”

Buffy smiled widely, hardly believing that Marty thought she would _actually_ consider this. She shook her head. “Nuh-uh.”

Marty nodded and shrugged in defeat. “Worth a shot…” He saw that line as way to segue into what he _really_ wanted to ask Buffy. “Speaking of shots… I was wondering if, like… and you can totally say no! But I was wondering if you wanted to... go out… with me, tomorrow night.”

“Sure,” Buffy shrugged, not understanding her friend’s sudden awkward demeanour. “But what does that have to do with shots? Do you mean _shots_, because I don’t drink-”

“No, no, not those kinds of shots. I meant, like, basketball shots. I thought we could go to the courts, on campus, tomorrow night. Shoot some hoops, maybe pack some food…”

“Wow,” Buffy’s smile was wide and her cheeks full. “That sounds great! I mean, as long as it isn’t after curfew.”

“No problem! We’ll be back before curfew.” The two of them smiled at each other, and Marty felt giddy, but he wasn’t sure whether she understood the implications of this night out. He explained: “Actually… I was hoping, when we go out, it would be, like, a date-type-thing…”

Buffy’s smile remained, but her eyes widened. “Wow… a date?”

“Yeah.” Marty rubbed his hands on his knees, trying to stop his palms from sweating. Buffy opened her mouth, seemingly weighing her options in her mind.

“Marty,” she began, her mouth twisting into a frown. “You’re really sweet. And funny- you’re like the funniest guy ever. But I _really_ like our friendship… You don’t wanna ruin that, right?”

“We won’t _ruin_ it!”

“And you date like a bunch of girls, I don’t know-”

“They’re nothing _serious_, though!”

“Oh?” Buffy bit her lip and raised an eyebrow at Marty. “But _we_ would be serious?”

Marty shrugged. “I _seriously_ like you,” he confessed, making Buffy blush a deep shade of pink and giggle nervously. Marty waited for an answer, but Buffy just shook her head, still smiling, and pushed herself off the wall. As she walked away, Marty called loudly after her: “So is that a _yes_?”

Buffy laughed to herself. “No!”

“So… Is that a _no_?” 

“ … No.”

After practice, mother nature decided to go buckwild. A massive storm erupted, with thunder and lightning and winds that could blow you away. Everyone who was outside quickly rushed to their bunks. Unfortunately, this meant TJ was stuck in a room with Cyrus for the rest of the day. Fortunately, however, Marty was also there, giving them the opportunity to make up.

When they were both in the same room, hair dripping from the rain, TJ began his apology.

“Hey,” he greeted Marty seriously. They looked at each other with sorrowful eyes. “I’m sorry, man. I acted like an asshole.” They pulled each other in for a tight hug, TJ squeezing his eyes closed and intertwining his hands when they were around Marty’s back. 

“No, man,” Marty replied, hugging TJ even tighter. “_I’m_ sorry. I was way out of line-”

“I shouldn’t have said that shit to you-”

“I was just upset about what you said-”

“You can date _whoever_ you want-”

“So I said that shit about Cyrus to hurt you.”

“I think it’s _great_ that you’re making friends with these girls.”

They stood in silence for a minute, hugging each other tightly, their clothes soaked through. When they pulled apart they gave each other a smile and a nod of solidarity, and solidified their friendship with a bro-handshake.

“Truce?” Marty asked, with a shy smile.

“Of course,” TJ replied. “Truce.”

“So,” Marty whispered, lowering his voice so that only TJ can hear. “You still wanna leave before the tournament?” Marty’s face was in an upset, defeated frown; he clearly wanted to see this through to the end.

“Well… yeah,” TJ admitted sadly, his voice also in a whisper. “I get why you wanna stay, but… with everything that’s happened with Cyrus, and _Doctor_ Reed,” Marty laughed softly at the memory. “I just don’t like being here anymore. I kinda wanna leave as soon as possible…” He knew he looked pathetic, but Marty nodded empathetically, understanding that being around Cyrus was probably causing TJ a lot of pain.

“I get it, bro. I’m sorry.”

“But, hey!” TJ looked up, wearing a friendly smile. “That doesn’t mean _you_ have to go anywhere. You could stick around! I’ll just go back by myself-”

Marty laughed at this idea. “No way, dude. We’re in this together. If you wanna leave… I’m coming with you.” They nodded at each other, TJ saying a silent thankyou. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

That night, the storm raged angrily for hours and hours. Rain hammered loudly against the windows, sounding like loud TV static. Most of the bunk was presumably sleeping, but the clap of thunder wouldn’t let TJ rest. Also, every time there was a loud noise outside, he heard Cyrus gasp from his bed, so that wasn’t helping.

Unable to stop himself, TJ whispered, to Cyrus: “You okay?”, but he hated himself for it, the second the words left his mouth.

There was a pause, before Cyrus replied: “Yeah,” before another clap of thunder made him whimper and change his answer to “No.” That earned a light laugh from TJ, before they settled back into silence, the storm roaring in the distance. TJ assumed that would be the end of it, but Cyrus spoke again, after a flash of lightning: “Hey, Teej?”

“Yeah?”

“I know it’s shitty of me to ask, but… can you do me a huge favour?”

It was kind of shitty of Cyrus to ask, given the circumstances, but TJ wasn’t mad. His talk with Marty was still fresh in his mind, and Cyrus’ vulnerable voice didn’t evoke any feelings of anger or distrust in TJ.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Well, I…” Pause. “I can’t really sleep…”

“Yeah, me neither.”

“... So I was wondering…” Another, longer pause. “Could I sleep in your bed?”

TJ inhaled. His stomach and throat felt tight. He made a face like he was being torn apart, knowing that nobody could see him. He thought about saying no. He thought about telling Cyrus that he was asking for too much. But when another loud rumble from outside made Cyrus whimper again, TJ couldn’t leave him like that.

“Come on,” he whispered, after a long pause, flipping his quilt open. “Get in.”

He heard Cyrus’ feet patter across the floor and saw his silhouette pass by the windows. He climbed into the small bed, the two facing each other and laying on their sides to avoid touching. It was a tight squeeze and the closeness didn’t help TJ’s mental state; he still felt drawn to Cyrus, and he knew Cyrus felt the same way about him too, but they couldn’t do anything about it. It felt claustrophobic. 

“Thankyou,” Cyrus whispered softly.

“Mhmm.” TJ replied, nodding slightly, mildly uncomfortable. Even in the dark, he could see Cyrus’ eyes were remaining open, staring down into space.

They didn’t speak for a minute, both trying to get used to a discomforting silence, hoping that the storm would lull them to sleep. That was until Cyrus took in a shaky breath and looked TJ in the eyes, his gaze cutting through the dark.

“I’m sorry.” There it was. The apology that TJ had been waiting for. Somehow, it didn’t help. “I didn’t…” Cyrus inhaled again, trying to stop himself from crying. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I’m _so_ sorry…”

TJ shut his eyes for a moment, begging the ache in his chest to subside, piecing his next words together carefully. 

“Just…” he started, in a broken whisper. “Why did you do it?” 

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him?” TJ’s voice hurt, as he tried to keep it in a whisper, while desperately wanting to scream.

“There was nothing to tell!” Cyrus shook his head. “When he told you he was my boyfriend… that was like, the first time he had ever used that word.” He turned to lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, ready to lay out his explanation.

“We grew up together,” he continued. “He was always out of my league; even when we were four and I had a stupid kiddie-crush on him. He would kick over my sandcastles and break my toys, but that didn’t stop me from liking him. I know how it sounds, but I was, like, in _love_ with him… as in love as you can be, when you’re a kid, anyway. And over the years, every time we saw each other, my crush just got worse. And he dated girls and he ditched me at parties, but then he would apologise in, like, the _sweetest_ way… I always kinda hoped we’d end up together; his parents love me, he knows me really well, and he _is_ nice to me. I know you don’t like him, but he can be really sweet.” He paused for a moment. “But he hated… being tied down by me. Like a month before camp, we were texting and he would flirt and send heart emojis but I was never his _boyfriend_. He still dated other girls. Still made out with them at parties. He told me he wasn’t looking for anything serious, with me. So I gave up…” He turned to TJ, looking at him with meaningful eyes and an apologetic smile. “And then I met you.”

“Cyrus…” TJ whispered, begging him not to play games with him. “Don’t.”

“I knew you from school,” Cyrus continued. “But I never even thought you liked _guys_, let alone someone like _me_.” TJ opened his mouth, wanting to tell him how perfect he was, but closed it again, knowing it wouldn’t be appropriate. “That night… after we- after I…” he took in a deep breath. “He called me. Told me he was driving up to see me… We were never officially dating. I know what you and Marty think of me now, but I didn’t cheat on anybody. I _swear_.”

TJ nodded. “I know…” he paused, letting that information sink in. “Thankyou for explaining.” Cyrus smiled, his eyes still slightly teary. “So… you guys weren’t dating?” Cyrus shook his head. “... But he drove up and just _announced_ that you’re dating… and now you are?”

Cyrus sniffled a laugh. “It sounds ridiculous, but… pretty much.”

“You…” TJ started. Cyrus’ explanation somehow made him feel worse. The idea that they _could_ have worked out, if Reed hadn’t shown up, was tearing him up inside. “You do know you don’t _have_ to date him, right?”

Cyrus smiled sadly, rolling back onto his side, so that he and TJ were face to face.

“I mean… I kinda do,” he shrugged. “I feel like… I owe it to my childhood self. Like I shouldn’t waste this opportunity to be with the guy I always wanted…” Cyrus wanted to make TJ understand. “Haven’t you ever had someone you liked for a _really_ long time? Like, a middle-school crush that you _never_ thought would happen?”

TJ looked down at his own chest, sucking in a sob before it could escape. “Yeah.” He wanted to cry; to bawl his eyes out right then and there. The boy beside him, the one he had loved since he was a dumb middle schooler, felt the same way… about someone else. He looked back up to Cyrus, well aware that his eyes were full of hot tears. “I get it.” He knew Cyrus could hear the sadness in his voice, from the pity in his eyes.

“I still really like you,” Cyrus said, in a friendly voice. “I’m sorry you got dragged into all this mess. We were _great_ before all this. I really want to go back to how things were with us.”

“How things were?” TJ whispered, dubiously.

“Y’know… when we were friends.” TJ laughed breathily, but there was no humour behind it. “I know it’s a lot to ask… but I don’t want us to be strangers, Teej.”

TJ sucked in a breath, before asking: “Did you… Did you even _like_ me?”

Cyrus looked away and then back again, pursing his lips. “That doesn’t matter anymore.” TJ sighed. “I’m sorry.” His face looked full of regret. TJ finally let one tear slip out, but he smiled and wiped it away with his hand.

“I know. I just can’t help but…” TJ stopped himself, letting out a hollow sigh. “I just…”

Cyrus stared at him, awaiting his next sentence.

“It’s just a shame... That’s all.” That’s when Cyrus let himself cry, but TJ didn’t want that; it wasn’t _his_ fault. It’s just how things were turning out. They just weren’t meant to be.  
“Hey, none of that. C’mere.”

Cyrus flipped around, still softly crying, his back now facing TJ. TJ wrapped his arms around him, whispering a goodnight into his hair. He knew how this looked, but it felt right. It felt like what he needed; what they both needed. It was one last night where he could hold onto Cyrus. One last time for them to be together. In the morning, it would all be over. They would return to reality. They would go back to how they were before, as if nothing had happened at all.


	12. Kids With Guns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 9. TJ and Cyrus attempt to repair their friendship. Marty and Buffy go on a date.

Due to the severity of the rain from the night previous, the field was off limits for work outs and warm ups. The cheerleaders were told to practice indoors, to prevent slipping on the field. Work outs and warm ups would take place in the gym, while routines would be practised in the assembly hall, which was much larger. However, to get to any of these places they had to walk through the field, which was now 20% grass and 80% sloppy mud. Everyone seemed to be dreading this, _except_ for Marty and TJ.

That morning, the boys and their bunkmates were preparing themselves to brave the slippery outdoors, so they could walk to breakfast. Marty and TJ’s excitement was evident, as they wore childish, daring smiles and practically shook with exhilaration. Cyrus was in the bathroom, and TJ and Jonah were on their beds, putting on their shoes, while Walker and Marty waited for them by the door. 

“Why are you guys so excited?” Jonah asked.

“Look how slippery the grass is,” Marty gestured emphatically out of the window. “It’s like a goddamn mudslide!”

“Gross,” Jonah crinkled his nose up, laughing.

“Are you _actually_ gonna slide through the mud?” Walked asked, looking between Marty and TJ with confusion. “On purpose?”

“Well,” TJ started, looking up from his shoelaces. “Not _slide_, per se. But we’re gonna run through it, right?” He looked at Marty, who responded with giddy nodding. “Y’know, to see who can skid the fastest without falling on their ass.” Marty reached out to TJ, who was now done with his shoes, and laughed as he slapped a high five into his hand.

“It’s like ice skating, but cooler!” Marty added.

“That sounds _nothing_ like ice skating,” Jonah laughed, him and Walker venturing outside towards the cafeteria. Marty looked after them with an annoyed expression.

“Okay, so it’s more like bob sledding!” he called after them. When he got no response he continued: “Whatever! You guys just don’t get it.” He turned back to TJ, commenting: “Assholes”, making his friend laugh.

“You ready to go?” TJ asked. Marty suddenly looked at him sympathetically.

“One sec, just…” he began, coming closer to his best friend. “Are you good, man?”

“Yeah…” TJ replied suspiciously. He then remembered that his best friend was a blatant eavesdropper and gave a knowing sigh. “Why wouldn’t I be good, Marty?” He asked, poking the truth out of him.

Marty attempted a subtle shrug, feigning cluelessness, but gave up when he saw TJ’s smile and pointed look. “I… kinda heard you guys last night.” TJ looked down, groaning. “That’s rough, man. I’m sorry.”

“Ugh,” TJ shook his head. “I thought everyone was asleep.”

“The thunder was _loud_. I get, like, four hours sleep on a _good_ night.” TJ laughed, as Marty gave him a kind smile. “Seriously though, man, are you okay?”

TJ shrugged. He was tired of moping, of stewing in his heart break, so he searched for the most positive response he could offer up: “I _will_ be. I’ll be okay.”

“Bring it in, brother,” Marty commanded, pulling TJ in for a big hug for the second time in the last 24-hours. TJ groaned with faux frustration, but was grateful for his friend. Marty shook TJ around in the hug, startling a laugh out of him. “Love you, man.” They patted each other on the back before separating.

The sudden opening of the bathroom door made them both look over, to see Cyrus standing awkwardly in the doorway. His eyes were wide with shock and embarrassment, from seeing TJ again, after last night. He offered up a weak smile, which TJ and Marty returned.

“Hey, guys,” Cyrus greeted quietly, trying to deter the awkwardness. 

“Hey,” TJ spoke in a friendly voice, determined to move on and make things better between the two of them. “Me and Marty are going to breakfast now. Do you wanna join?”

Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief, giving a nod and a pleasant smile. Marty patted TJ on the back again, before exclaiming “Let’s hit the road, boys!”, prompting them all to walk out onto the wet grass. “Oh, shit!” Marty slapped TJ on the arm, as they began walking, a realisation dawning on him. “Teej, now we have someone to time who can slide the fastest! Goodman, wanna be our guy?”

“What?”

As large as the assembly hall was, it was tiny compared to the field, so the squads were training beside each other in relatively close proximity. Around twenty teams were all practising under one roof. Tensions were high, as Kira and Buffy would occasionally stare at each other from across the room, eyes full of contempt. Marty noticed this, as he held her up above his head in a lift. She was shaky, her concentration off.

“Hey,” he called up to her, in a loud whisper. She looked down at him. “Don’t look at them.” His voice was sweet, prompting her to nod and smile softly.

“Okay, Tigers,” she yelled. “From the top!”

Marty lowered Buffy down to the ground, as the rest of the squad started to gather into first position. They were ready to go, until another team caught Amber’s eye.

“Holy, shit.” she exclaimed, stunned. “Are they doing the Fountain of Troy?”

The Tigers, as well as most of the other teams, turned to see a squad of cheerleaders attempting the most dangerous move in cheerleading. It consisted of an intricate formation, several complicated lifts, two drops, and two synchronised double backflips to top it all off. There was no wonder Coach Mack had deemed the move ‘Prohibidado’.

Marty was the first to point this out: “I thought that move was prohibibobo.”

“It is.” Coach Mack was suddenly beside the Tigers, faced curled up in anger. Nobody said anything to the squad attempting the fountain, or else they might disturb them and cause an injury. But it didn’t matter; after a few seconds, they fell out of formation and dropped their flyer on the ground.

“My face!” she cried, curling up into a ball. “My face! I’m bleeding! My face!” Coach Mack and Judy Bartholomew rushed over to her, seeing how bad the damage was. Mack decided to use this as a teachable moment, for the rest of the camp: 

“You see what happens? You see what the Fountain of Troy does? This poor girl broke her face! Where’s she gonna get another one of those?!”

TJ leaned over, whispering to Marty. “Still wanna do the Fountain of Troy?”

“...Kinda,” Marty whispered back.

“Someone call a doctor!” Judy begged.

“Damn,” Cyrus uttered. “I wish Reed were here.”

“Why?” Marty snickered. “So he could ask someone to call a doctor?”

TJ laughed and nudged Marty in agreement. Cyrus rolled his eyes at the comment, but TJ could see the smirk he was trying to hide. While the rest of the Tigers were distracted, either talking to each other or to the other squads, Cyrus timidly tapped TJ on the shoulder.

“Hey, Teej,” he began quietly. “Can I talk to you, a sec?”

“Yeah, sure,” TJ smiled at him. Their quietness, overly-friendly smiles and shy demeanour made it clear that neither of them were past the events of the past few days. Wounds were still fresh, tender skin was still healing. TJ’s lip injury had only just begun to scab over. 

“So,” Cyrus pulled TJ aside, away from any other listeners. “Speaking of-uh- Reed,” _’Oh, great we’re talking about Doctor Reed.’_ “I wanted to make sure we’re on the same page about… what to tell people.”

TJ paused, confused. “What… do you mean?”

“Well, I kinda don’t want any of… _our_ stuff to get back to him.” he gestured between him and TJ. “You know, like movie night… last night…” The mention of what happened the night previous felt taboo, making TJ’s face flush. He quickly nodded, understanding Cyrus’ concerns.

“Got it-”

“Or me fixing your lip. Or you giving me piggy back rides…”

“Okay-”

“We probably shouldn’t mention that we sat together on the bus either-”

“Cyrus, are you kidding?” he said loudly, shaking his head. “That’s ridiculous.”

“I just don’t want him to be upset…” Cyrus explained, wrapping his arms around himself.

“So he’s allowed to make out with girls at parties, but you can’t sit next to me on the bus?”

“TJ, I didn’t _just_ sit next to you on the bus, I _kissed_ you!” Cyrus spoke in an angry whisper, the word ‘kissed’ sounding particularly venomous on his tongue. TJ scratched the back of his neck and painfully swallowed the memory of the kiss.

He paused, sighing. “Cyrus, are you sure he doesn’t already know?”

“What? Why would he already know?”

“I don’t know, but he just seems to _hate_ me.”

“He doesn’t _hate_ you. He’s probably just intimidated by you- he can be very insecure!”

TJ snorted. “Bet.”

“Anyway, just promise you won’t tell anyone? I… kinda… really wanna make this work.”

TJ sighed. The idea of Cyrus being desperate to keep someone, who wasn't TJ, made his whole body ache. “Okay,” TJ smiled sadly. “I won’t tell anyone...” Cyrus nodded, the conversation presumably over, until TJ remembered something that he felt would be worth mentioning. “...else.”

“Else?!” Cyrus shrieked, catching the eyes of a few cheerleaders. He lowered his voice. “Who did you tell?!”

TJ’s eyes widened and he shrugged defensively. “Just Marty! He heard us last night-”

“I thought everyone was asleep!”

“Apparently not!” he replied, both looking equally surprised by this. “_Aaaand_ I told him about movie night.” He spoke quickly, hoping that would’ve somehow made it better.

“_TJ!_” Cyrus laughed, whining and hitting TJ’s chest playfully.

“Ow- sorry!” TJ apologised, blocking himself from Cyrus’ playful slaps. “We tell each other everything. And he’s a good guy, okay, he won’t tell a soul.”

Cyrus paused, nodding. “... Okay. That’s fine… cause I kinda told Buffy, about movie night, too.”

TJ shook his head and laughed with Cyrus. “Hypocrite,” he insulted jokingly. The two of them looked over to Marty and Buffy, presumably the only two who knew their secrets. They were facing each other, wrapped up in an engaging conversation, holding eye contact throughout. Marty was talking loudly about something, gesticulating wildly, while Buffy laughed at him, playing with her hair.

“They look happy” Cyrus commented, sounding distant. TJ glanced back at Cyrus, while he still had his eyes glued to Marty and Buffy, and couldn’t help but wonder _what if_. He wondered if Cyrus knew how happy they could be, if it weren't for Reed.

“Yeah…” he agreed, in a whisper. Cyrus continued to face away from TJ, but seemed to be lost in thought, contemplating something. 

He suddenly asked: “You wanna hang out after practice?”, pursing his lips nervously. “Like, I really want us to be friends. Friends hang out. So, we should… do that.” Cyrus’ nervousness reminded TJ that things were not the same as they used to be.

“Okay,” TJ agreed. “You wanna go swimming, or something?”

“Like in the lake again?” Cyrus laughed, as if to be asking _’Are you serious?’_.

“No, in the pool, dumbass! Wait- how’d you know about the lake?”

“Iris told me. She said you couldn’t find your clothes and ended up dancing in your underwear for Coach Mack.” Cyrus laughed, while TJ looked around with wide eyes, searching for answers in the air.

“How the _shit_ did she know that? She wasn’t even there!”

“She was the one that took your clothes, man.”

TJ was left gawking. “Jesus! You really can’t trust anyone these days.”

After practice ended, before TJ could invite Marty to the pool, he was intervened by one of the Panthers. The _flyer_ for the Panthers, in fact. He couldn’t seem to remember her name. _Myra? Cara? Ciara? CYRUS?_ He internally slapped himself, the little Marty in his brain reminding him to stop being a dumbass and remember more names. 

“Hey,” she approached him, blocking his path. “TJ, right?”

He looked around awkwardly for a moment, realising that she had him in a conversational trap. “Yeah! You’re the flyer for the Panthers,” he spoke loudly and awkwardly. She stared at him silently, gesturing for him to continue. He could tell she wanted him to say her name, but the information just wasn’t coming to him. “Cyrus?”

“What?” she frowned.

‘God, I wish Marty were here to tell me what this girl’s goddamn name is.’ 

“The mean one?” That comment didn’t seem to anger her. In fact, it startled a laugh out of her.

“Ha! Is that what _Buffy_ makes you call me?”

TJ laughed at that concept. “Nah, that would be funny though! But I’m just shitty with names.” He shrugged. 

“Well… you seemed to remember _Cyrus’_ name just fine?”

“Uh, well, I, uh,” he stammered, trying to cover up his awkwardness by coughing into his fist. “Well, he’s- he’s on my team- my _squad_. So, y’know…”

The Panther girl eyed him with a slow, intimidating nod. Then she finally gave her name: “I’m Kira. Remember that,” she joked. 

“I’ll try my best,” he joked back, with a wink.

She tightened her lips into a thin line, before saying: “I saw you, and your friend, with Reed, the other night.” _’What?’_

“What?” TJ was suddenly way more interested in this conversation. 

“I was at the lake...y’know? When everyone was down there?”

“Right, right, right… Uh, wow, okay.” He paused, wanting to ask her a question, but not knowing quite what to say. “How do you know Reed?”

“He goes to my school.”

“Oh, okay… And, uh, no offence, but is he always-”

“A huge dick?” she spoke loud and abruptly. “Yeah, pretty much.”

TJ spat out a powerful laugh, which attracted the attention of Cyrus, Buffy and Marty, their eyes now on their team mate and mortal enemy.

“Good to know!” TJ exclaimed. “Does he always go by _Doctor Reed_?”

“What?! No!” Now it was Kira’s turn to laugh. “Is that what he told you to call him?” TJ nodded and they both laughed together. “Ugh, that is _classic_ Reed. Hysterical.”

TJ was beginning to see the appeal in Kira and the Panthers. It wasn’t just because she was nice. It was because she seemed to be one of the more sane people he had spoken to in the last few days. With Cyrus trying to convince TJ that Reed was some nice, sweet guy, it was reassuring to hear someone else see him for who he truly is.

When he finally got over to Marty, asking him if he wanted to come swimming, Marty delivered some news that TJ had mixed feelings about:

“I can’t; I’m gonna be busy getting ready for a date. With Buffy” 

TJ sighed, not even wanting to point out the obvious flaws in Marty’s plan, because he looked _so_ happy. 

“I-” TJ started, ready to say something judgemental, but he interrupted himself. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Marty tilted his head, making sure his best friend is okay, because it’s uncommon for him to stop himself from being a judgemental asshole. “That’s it? Okay?”

“You’re clearly not going to listen to me, or learn from my mistakes, so… okay. I won’t stand in your way.” Marty nodded and smiled, impressed by his friend’s maturity. “You have my permission to poop where you eat.”

Marty brought his hands up into a grateful prayer gesture. “Thankyou, brother. You won’t regret it.”

“I definitely will, but sure.”

“So, who you goin to the pool with?” Marty asked.

“Oh, y’know… Cyrus,” TJ said, attempting to be nonchalant.

“Oh, jeez. That’ll be _great_,” Marty replied, sarcastically.

“Oh, what? What’s wrong with that?”

“He has a boyfriend, bro. And pools are _not_ a friendly place. Everyone’s like _naked_.”

“You’re ridiculous. No one is naked. We won’t be any more naked than we were when we went _’skinny dipping’_,” he said with over-the-top air quotes, making Marty frown.

“Why are you doing _this_, man?” he asked hysterically, mimicking TJ’s air quotes. “Why are you using air quotes? Don’t, okay? Stop that; it _was_ skinny dipping. Stop taking a fat _shit_ on my dreams, man. I already crossed it off my bucket list. In _pen_.”

“Whatever, man. Just… go get ready for your date. And have fun, I guess” TJ said, already walking away.

“I will!” Marty announced proudly after him. “And you have fun on yours!”

“Fuck off!”

While the hot sun was busy drying the grass, swimming was the cheerleaders’ safest option for exercise. The pool was anything but quiet. During mid afternoon, with the tournament closer than ever, most of the coaches were busy focusing on helping teams with their cheering. This meant they had no time to supervise the pool, leaving Brittany, the volunteer who registered them, to make sure that the cheerleaders behave. However, she was in the lifeguard’s chair, on her phone, and the pool was full of teenagers splashing around, rather than actually swimming. 

As TJ and Cyrus approached the pool, both in T-shirts and swimming shorts, TJ nudged Cyrus daringly. “Last chance to dive in with me.” 

Cyrus, who was holding their towels, shook his head. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Your loss,” he took his shirt off, pushing it onto Cyrus’ pile of towels. He ran for the pool, others moving out of his way, and yelled, at the top of his lungs: _”Kowa-banjo!” _

He jumped into the air, bringing himself into a ball, and landed in the pool with a giant splash. 

Cyrus smiled, running up to the area where TJ had landed, and let his legs dangle in the water. TJ suddenly rose up and leaned forward on the edge of the pool near his legs. He sported a cheesy grin, water still dripping from his face. “How was that, huh?” he asked cockily, expecting Cyrus to be impressed. 

Cyrus tilted his head. “I think it’s kowabunga, not kowa-banjo.” 

“Seriously?” Cyrus nodded. “I’m gonna kill Marty, that lying bastard.” Cyrus laughed loudly. “You don’t think anyone heard me, right?” TJ asked, only half serious. 

“Nah,” Cyrus shook his head and crinkled his nose. “It’s not like you said it _super_ loud, in a pool _full_ of people, or anything.” TJ splashed Cyrus for his sarcasm, prompting him to flinch away and kick water at TJ’s face. “Knock it off, asshole!” 

As TJ and Cyrus were laughing and playing around, Kira suddenly appeared beside them. She crouched down next to Cyrus, but ignored him, peering into the pool at TJ. 

“Hey, T,” she greeted, her gaze fixed on him, while Cyrus stared at her with disgruntlement. 

“Sup, Panther,” he replied with a friendly smile. 

“Where’d your curls go?” 

“Huh?” he squinted confusedly. 

“Usually you have a few curls...” she moved her hand forward, trailing her fingers along his wet hair. “...Right here.” 

“I do?” 

“Usually. Must’ve washed away in the pool. How unfortunate.” TJ responded by shaking his head violently, like a dog, the water shooting off his hair. Kira gave a frightened laugh at being sprinkled with water. Cyrus would’ve laughed too, but Kira’s strange presence filled him with icy discomfort. There was something about this friendship that made Cyrus uneasy. When TJ stopped shaking, some of the texture had returned to his hair. “There they are!” Kira stroked his fingers through these strands of hair, making Cyrus’ mouth twist into a frown. 

“You like my curls?” 

“Duh,” Kira replied, still playing with his hair from poolside. She turned to Cyrus, looking at him curiously. “What about you, Cy? You like his curls?” 

Cyrus’ face went red, and he opened his mouth to speak but only air came out. Before he could answer, TJ decided to save him from the embarrassment the only way he knew how: by pulling Kira in. 

TJ looked at her deviously, yanked her arm and pulled her into the water. The splash caught Cyrus badly, making him pull his legs up and scoot back. 

“You dick!” Kira yelled, when she resurfaced. The two splashed each other, squealing happily when they got hit with water, and Cyrus decided he wasn’t enjoying the pool anymore. 

“Ha, stop!” TJ said, jokily, to Kira. “Cyrus, she’s a maniac, you gotta help me-” he paused, looking over to where Cyrus once sat. His T-shirt and towels sat sadly by the pool’s edge. TJ’s smile was gone in an instant. He looked around, spotting Cyrus walking out, and swam away from Kira. “Sorry, I gotta go,” he excused himself, quietly. He pushed himself out of the pool, grabbing the abandoned pile of stuff, and ran towards Cyrus, pushing people out of the way to get to him. 

TJ pulled on Cyrus’ arm to turn him around, greeting him with a “Hey”, but Cyrus brushed him off and continued to walk out of the pool area. TJ followed him to a small patio area, grabbing his hand to get his attention. Cyrus turned back to look at TJ and pulled his hand away, like the touch had burned him. TJ looked at him with concern. 

“Why’d you leave? What’s going on?” 

“I don’t know,” Cyrus said, anger coating his voice. “Why don’t _you_ tell me what’s going on?” 

TJ paused. “...I don’t get it.” 

“Is this supposed to be, like, your revenge, or something?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“You! Hanging out with Kira when you _know_ she likes you!” 

“So?” 

“So… it feels like payback,” Cyrus folded his arms, looking away from TJ’s face. “That’s what it feels like. It feels like you’re _trying_ to make me feel bad. It feels like you’re trying to hurt me, because I hurt you with all the Reed bullshit. But that’s _not_ fair, TJ. That’s unfair; I didn’t mean to hurt you! I didn’t _mean_ to do that!” 

“I know, Cyrus!” 

“So, why are you trying to hurt me?” 

“I’m not! Cyrus, I’m not trying to get ‘payback’, or whatever, okay?” 

Cyrus paused, taking a few short breaths. 

“You’re not?” 

“No!” TJ laughed in disbelief. “Why would you even think that?” 

“I just… I don’t even know. It doesn’t matter.” Cyrus put a palm against his cheek in embarrassment. TJ saw it as the most endearing thing in the world. 

“I know what happened wasn’t your fault. We’re good now, okay? I promise.” 

Cyrus swallowed, looking back at TJ and nodding. “Okay. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” They looked at each other for a moment, smiling. “Wanna get out of here?” 

Cyrus nodded. “Boy, do I!” TJ laughed, slinging an arm around his neck, pulling him as close as their newly repaired friendship would allow. 

Curfew was at 11PM. Marty figured that he would spend most of the afternoon fixing up the picnic. Then he and Buffy would go down to the courts, eat and play some one on one. He wasn’t the most organised person in the world, but he had planned a way for them to spend some time alone together and still make it back by 10:30PM. 

They had just finished their first one-on-one of the night, both exhausted, but smiling. Buffy had absolutely _annihilated_ Marty, in a way that he had only ever seen in his best friend. He wasn’t upset about it, or threatened by it. The entire game he couldn’t help but be in awe of her. He wondered why they hadn’t done something like this sooner; they’d gone to the same high school for years, yet only now were they discovering how well they complimented each other. 

“Come on, let’s eat!” Buffy said, skin glistening with sweat, walking over to the picnic hamper. “I can _destroy_ you again, later.” 

Marty was still slightly amazed by Buffy’s skills. They sat down on the blanket he had brought, in the middle of the court, but he didn’t speak for a moment, just admiring her as she picked a box of chocolates out of the hamper and flashed them at Marty with a cheeky smile. “How romantic, Martin!” she joked, putting the box back down and picking out a container full of strawberries. 

“So you’re like _good_\- good?” Marty finally asked, making Buffy laugh mid-strawberry. 

“I guess?” she shrugged, until he gave her a deadpan look and she changed her answer. “Okay, yeah, I’m _good_-good.” 

“Unbelievable… Why haven’t we been doing this the whole time?” 

“The whole time?” 

“All through high school!” 

Buffy shrugged, with wide, amused eyes. “I’ve been busy!” 

“With what?” 

“School work, the _squad_.” 

“Oh, yeah. Sucks that you can’t do both. Y’know like ball _and_ cheering." 

Buffy’s smile faltered. “Yeah. Sucks.” 

Marty noticed her unhappy expression. 

“Oh, no way. Come on. You can’t be sad on our date. This isn’t what I promised you” 

“What?” she laughed, confused as to what he meant. 

“You said that the _only_ thing you like about me is that I’m funny-” 

“Shut up, I didn’t say that!" 

“-so I will be your clown, for the evening.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” 

“I’m your Rent-a-Clown, Buff. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it! All for your amusement.” 

She thought for a minute, smiling to herself. 

Then she started clapping and shouting: “Dance, clown! Dance!”, inspiring Marty to immediately begin aggressively hype-dancing, in the middle of a dark basketball court. It was a god-awful ridiculous display and he was grateful that no one was walking by, at that moment. Buffy’s laughter became heavy, her ribs hurting and her breath coming out in short gasps. She yelled: “Stop! Stop!” But he just went faster, until he tripped over his own feet. She went over to help him, a smile permanently plastered on her face, her cheeks stinging. When she sat beside him, she noticed that his knee was badly grazed from the concrete ground. 

“How bad is it?” he asked, but looked himself before she could answer. “Oh, shit! Gnarly! You think it’ll scar?” 

“It’s like a playground injury, Marty. I got like a million scraped knees when I was _six_.” 

“... so... _maybe_?” 

She laughed at him, shaking her head. “Bet you wish _Doctor_ Reed were here, right?” she joked. “He’d fix you up.” 

“Babe, it’s sweet that you trust that asshole, but he would deadass stitch my knee to my forehead. Like, no questions asked.” She laughed again and then looked up at him sincerely. 

“Marty, no. I _do not_ trust that asshole. He’s the worst.” 

Marty widened his eyes and sat up straight, intrigued by Buffy’s distrust, expecting gossip. “You don’t trust your best friend’s boyfriend? Shit; spill!” 

“There’s nothing to spill,” Buffy shrugged. “I just don’t trust him. I’ve known him for _years_ and I still don’t trust him.” 

“Sure, but you knew me and TJ for years and you didn’t trust us, at first.” 

She frowned, shaking her head. “No- I didn’t really _know_ you. I _still_ don’t really know you. We’ve gone to the same high school for years, but never spoke. And even now, all I know about you is that you run track and had a failed audition for KidzBop.” 

“Still not over that,” Marty commented. “And, that’s not true! I’ve told you a bunch of stuff!” 

“Yeah… but nothing serious. Just... dumb facts.” 

“Well, I could say the same about you.” 

“Me?!” 

“Yeah! I know that you’re into sports… and that’s _literally_ it. Why can’t I know any serious shit?” 

Buffy sighed. “Fine. I don’t care. Ask me anything.” 

Marty contemplated this. “Got any pets?” 

Buffy laughed at his question. “Yes; a dog.” 

“Okay! I already feel like I know you better!” 

“Ask a better question, Marty. You suck at this.” 

“Okay, okay. What’s your family like? Mom and Dad, or…?” 

Buffy paused, taking a gulp of air. “Good question.” 

“You… don’t have to tell me anything.” 

“I know.” She sat for a minute, before fixing her posture and looking Marty in the eyes.  
“It’s just me and my dad, mostly. My mom’s in the military, so… yeah.” 

“Wow.” 

“Yeah.” Buffy sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest and closing in on herself. 

“That sucks.” 

“It’s not all bad. I just miss her a lot. Sometimes she’ll tell me she’s staying for months or weeks at a time, and then I’ll wake up one morning and she’s already gone. Like, she slipped through my fingers somehow…” She took a deep breath. “And there’s so many times when I’ve _needed_ her. And she said she wouldn’t go anywhere. Like for recitals and tournaments where she _said_ she would be there. But she always leaves. Sometimes without even saying goodbye.” 

She sat for a minute, allowing both her and Marty to stew in that revelation. 

“Come on, Martin!” she suddenly continued speaking, with insincere cheer. “Another question. I’m on a roll. Let’s do this.” 

Marty checked his phone. “Are you sure? Because we have like less than an hour till curfew.” 

Buffy smiled kindly at the boy who remembered how seriously she took curfew. The boy who respected her wishes and listened to her talk about her mom. “I’m sure,” she said. “I want you to know me. Like, seriously.” 

After an hour, Marty had learned a lot. And the things he learnt suddenly made the world seem brighter, more clear. He learned that the reason she hated basketball players was because she wanted to be one, as a child, but there was no girls’ ball team. He learned that the reason it took her so long to warm up to TJ was because he isolated her from the boys’ team in middle school. He prevented her from receiving the ball during games, constantly called her the ‘bench-warmer’ and made sure that none of her teammates spoke to her. It almost shattered her self confidence, reducing her to tears one day, and pushing her to quit the day after. TJ hadn’t apologised, but Buffy knew it wasn’t because he was malicious, or anything; he probably didn’t even remember. 

Marty also learned how the Buffy-Kira rivalry began. In Jefferson Middle, after Buffy had quit the basketball team, Kira had become infuriated. She told Buffy that she should’ve stuck it out, put up with the abuse, to pave the way for other girls who want to play basketball. Girls like Kira. When Kira moved to a different school, one with a girls’ basketball team, she joined the team and soon became their star player. She rubbed it in Buffy’s face whenever she could, so Buffy decided to try a new sport: cheerleading. She practiced at it night and day, joining pep squad with Andi, honing her craft until she was perfect. And then, inexplicably, Kira dropped basketball and joined _her_ school’s pep squad. Rationally, Buffy knew there must have been some kind of logical explanation, but all she could think of was “Kira’s out to get me!” 

Buffy had talked on and on, with Marty happily listening, when she realised that he hadn’t told her anything serious about himself. She thought that it was unfair for both of them, that Marty knew so much about Buffy, but Buffy knew practically nothing. He told her that he’s pretty much an open book, apart from a few things. He told her that he didn’t want her to start asking him serious questions yet. He told her that he was worried that she would ask the right questions and he would be forced to share things that he wasn’t ready to share. 

He also said that he _would_ tell her personal stuff, eventually. And she nodded contentedly, replying with the three words that let Marty know that their date had been successful: 

“I trust you." 

Later that night, in almost pitch black darkness, TJ and Buffy were walking along the road on the edge of campus. Buffy was comfortably tucked underneath Marty’s arm, it acting as a soft fortress against the cold. Both of them couldn’t stop smiling, still giddy from their night together. 

“So,” Marty began. “Just to clarify, Iris and Natalie put mine and TJ’s clothes in a… tree?” 

“Yep,” she nodded. “By the lake.” 

“You sure they’ll still be there? What if, like, a bear took em?” 

“Then you’ll be _one_ hoodie-and-cargo-shorts-combo short. I am so sorry for your loss.” 

“Yeah, you should be. Iris owes me, like, nine dollars.” 

Buffy began to cackle with laughter, when they heard a noise ahead of them. With an “Oh shit!” from Marty, they both hid behind one of the trees that lined the side of the road. Peeking out from behind said tree, they saw three boys swaggering down the road, one with a familiarly blonde head of hair. 

“Chumbawumba is, like, the soundtrack to my life, dude,” Doctor Reed announced, now in earshot of both Marty and Buffy. “Awesome song. I could listen to that _all_ day.” 

“Well, I couldn’t,” a boy with brown hair commented, distastefully. “There’s, like, nothing to do here, bro. This is bullshit.” 

“Be patient, Lezzie,” an older blonde boy said, ruffling his hair. “My baby bro’s got a plan” 

“Lester, we cannot leave yet.” Reed told him firmly, stopping in the middle of the road. “I got some intel from that, uh, Panther chick, or whatever, that Cyrus was getting _real_ friendly with some _asshole_ from his school. Now, she didn’t say a name, but that TJ bitch is practically _drooling_ whenever he walks by. So, like, connect the fuckin dots. I can’t have him running off with some PJ bitch; no way.” 

Lester shrugged. “Why? Who cares? What’s the big deal?” The older blonde boy smacked Lester upside the head, causing him to scream a high pitched “Ow!”, making Reed erupt with obnoxious laughter. “I’m just _saying_, you don’t even _like_ Cyrus!” 

“You’re _so_ dense, man. I can’t have Cyrus running off with some guy. Our parents are old friends, which means they approve of him, which means- as long as we’re together- I get whatever I want! Including, that sick Harley, that I let your fat ass ride for like an hour. You’re _welcome_.” 

Buffy recoiled from the tree in disgust, as if it were Reed himself. Marty let out a low, quiet whistle, shocked at what he had just heard. 

“Oh, my God,” Marty whispered, stunned. 

“I _knew_ I couldn’t trust that guy,” Buffy replied, still in shock. “I was right.” 

“Poor Cyrus.” At that comment, Buffy turned and looked Marty in the eyes, a realisation dawning. 

“I have to tell Cyrus,” she gasped. “I have to tell Cyrus. Oh, my God, he’s gonna be _crushed_.” 

They had no time to discuss the consequences of this, though, because suddenly the voices were much closer than before. 

“Hey!” the older blonde shouted, in a deep and threatening voice. “Who’s back there?” 

_’Holy shit.’_ They froze. Marty looked to Buffy with wide, alarmed eyes. They tried to silence their heartbeats and keep their breath as hollow and quiet as possible. Marty gestured to the ground, silently telling Buffy not to move, but to stay put. He was firm in his plan, certain it wouldn’t get them beaten up. 

That was until he heard the cocking of a gun. 

“Alright,” Reed yelled, unknowingly aiming a small black gun scarily close to the couple. Buffy swallowed, out of fear. “You got ten seconds before I start firing warning shots.” He was wearing a menacing grin, clearly enjoying this, as Lester snickered and nudged him with his elbow. 

Then, Buffy whispered to Marty, oh so quietly: “Marty…” Marty replied with a silent nod. “You took track and field, right?” Marty nodded again, his eyes full of fear. “Time to put those legs to work.” Marty gulped, nodding again, his breath shaky. “You ready? On your marks, get set-” 

And, without waiting for ‘Go’, they were both sprinting in the opposite direction as the ‘doctor’ with the gun. 


	13. Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Feta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 10. Marty fills TJ in on the events of last night. TJ and Cyrus discuss the future.

The morning after Marty’s date with the captain of the Tiger’s cheerleading squad, him and TJ were 10 days into camp. While Marty got ready in the bathroom, TJ sat on the bed, waiting for Marty to be ready to leave. The bathroom door was swung open, and they conversed loudly to each other from their opposing sides of the accommodation. One thing that Marty _desperately_ wanted to discuss was Buffy’s ball skills.

“She’s, like, _good_” Marty yelled from the bathroom, heavy emphasis on the word ‘good’.

“Okay,” TJ shouted back, perched on the end of his bed. “But like _how_ good are we talkin?”

“Like _good_ good.”

“Okay, but like _me_ good, or like… _you_ good?”

“What is that supposed to mean- ‘_me_ good’? You said I was good, like, the other day, asshole.”

“Yeah, but you would be better if you actually _learned_ the plays. You just hog the ball and scream in the other teams’ faces.”

“It’s called _strategy_, Teej. And I get just as many baskets as you.”

“It’s verging on cheating. And you only get a bunch of baskets because you run past everyone else, and you can jump _strangely_ high.”

“And _that_ is called natural ability. Don’t hate me because I’m gifted and you’re not.”

Marty finally walked out of the bathroom, looking sharp and ready to go to breakfast… except for one thing: his entire torso looked ridiculously padded. TJ stared at him with wide eyes and befuddled eyebrows, his mouth instinctively opening for him to laugh at his best friend. But TJ restrained his urge to laugh out of sheer curiosity for why Marty looked like he was wearing a pillowcase under his shirt.

“Ready to go?” Marty asked happily, standing tall with his hands on his hips. TJ continued to stare.

“Have you been working out?” TJ joked, hoping it would prompt Marty to explain.

“Only, like, everyday.” Marty rolled his eyes, clearly not getting where TJ was coming from.

“So… you’re just not gonna say anything?”

Marty laughed, _really_ not getting it. “Say anything about what?”

“What, are you wearing, like, _ten_ binders?” TJ was only half kidding, his eyebrows raised.

“Huh?” Marty looked down at himself, finally realising what TJ was talking about. “Oh! Right! No, nothing like that.” He waved his hands in dismissal.

“Okay, then what is it?” TJ smiled, ready for the explanation.

“It’s a bulletproof vest!” Marty patted his chest proudly.

“What the fuck?”

“Pretty sick, right? Does it _actually_ make me look shredded? Cause that’d be cool.”

“Dude, where’d you even get one of those?”

“Funny story! I found it in the McDonald’s parking lot, when we stopped for food. You can find all kinds of weird shit in the McDonald’s parking lot.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I thought you might get jealous and take it from me. This is some _high_ quality gear and, not to sound selfish, but I’m not really open to sharing it. Sorry, bro.”

TJ paused.

“Dude! I don’t care about some gun-nut’s vest you found in a McDonald’s parking lot!”

“You asked about it!”

“Just- why are you wearing it now?” TJ ignored his friend, getting to the point.

Marty swallowed at this question. He looked from left to right, as if scoping the room for anyone who might be listening. He gestured for TJ to stand up and move in closer, so he did.

“Okay,” he whispered secretively. “I’ll tell you, but you gotta swear on your fucking life that you won’t say a word.” Okay, now TJ was scared. And confused. Mostly just confused.

“Yeah, I swear. What is it?”

“I’m kinda… fearing for my safety, right now.”

“What- why?”

“Me and Buffy sorta had a run in with Doctor Reed last night. And it was _weird_.”

“I can’t believe you made me take off the vest,” Marty complained, his arms crossed and a frown cut deep between his brows, as they walked across the field to breakfast.

“You looked stupid,” TJ explained tiredly. “No one’s going to shoot you, Marty.”

“Well, I hope not! If I die, that’s on _you_.”

“Great.”

“Have fun explaining _that_ to my grieving mother.”

“Oh, I will. You know how I treasure mine and Debbie’s little talks.”

“If Reed shows up during practice, you better dive in front that bullet.”

“If Reed shows up at practice, _I’m_ probably the one who should be worried, not you.”

“You know, it doesn’t hurt to be a little more prepared. Everyone should be safe, in case the worst should happen.”

“Safe?” TJ scoffed. “The vest was too much; it would’ve done more harm than good. You would’ve overheated-”

Marty loudly groaned, swinging his head back like a moody teenager. “God, when did you become my _dad_?”

“Please, I _wish_ I was your dad,” TJ joked, elbowing Marty in the ribs. 

“You _wish_ you were my dad?”

“I can only _dream_ of being Debbie’s husband.”

“Stop.”

“Debbie Kippen has a nice ring to it-”

“First off, quit it with this ‘Debbie’ shit. Call her Deborah. Call her _mom_, for all I care!”

“I’m not calling her mom. I _will_, however, call _you_ son.”

“Wow. Thanks Daddy.”

“Okay, I take it back.”

While eating cereal opposite Marty, in the cafeteria, TJ was trying his best to hide his feelings about what happened last night. Marty had told him everything Reed had said and TJ was feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he was excited at the prospect of his crush’s boyfriend not being all he cracked up to be. He was fearful over the idea that Cyrus’ boyfriend is the type to casually pull out a gun. He was happy when he thought about Cyrus potentially leaving Reed, over all this drama. He was saddened by the knowledge that Cyrus would be _heartbroken_. Overall, TJ was feeling way too much. He shouldn’t be having this many feelings about someone with a boyfriend.

“You and Buffy should have a one-on-one,” Marty said, through a mouthful of cereal. “I think it’d be good for you two- like, clearing the air. Plus, you guys are both super good, so I kinda wanna see who would beat who-”

“I would beat her,” TJ interrupted, sure of himself.

“-but you’d better apologise about being such a shit head, in middle school. She’s good with you now, but she would really appreciate it if you, like, owned up to your shitty actions. Plus it would be cool if my girlfriend and my best friend were on good terms.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Is she even your girlfriend?” TJ’s question made Marty look up, frowning with milk still around his lips.

“What does _that_ mean?”

“Well, you went on _one_ date with her. That doesn’t mean she’s your girlfriend.”

“Ah, shit,” he nodded, pointing his spoon at TJ in agreement. “You’re right, man. True. So should I ask her out?”

“Up to you, bro.” TJ shrugged. He then smiled about what he was about to say: “Ball’s in your court.” Marty snorted a laugh, finding the joke way funnier than it actually was.

“Nice.”

“Thanks.” They both went back to their breakfast for a minute, TJ still searching for a way to segue into what he really wanted to ask Marty about. “Hey- uh, speaking of Buffy,” he began, peaking Marty’s interest. “Is she gonna tell Cyrus about what went down last night?”

“Eh,” Marty tilted his head, wincing. “Not sure. She said that she would, but it’s early days. And this is gonna _crush_ Cyrus. Like, seriously, _crush_ him.”

“Right, yeah, of course…” TJ replied, pondering this.

“And Reed’s like his childhood-”

“-His childhood sweetheart,” TJ interrupted forcefully. “Yeah, I got that.” He went back to his breakfast, looking frustratedly down at his cereal. He looked back up, ready to make another suggestion: “Think I should tell him?”

That idea must’ve been pretty bad, because Marty dropped his spoon and waved his hands in TJ’s face like a mad man. 

“Nooooooooo,” he exclaimed, concern on his face. “You can_not_ tell him.”

“But he deserves to know!”

“But _not_ from you! If you tell him you’ll just be the guy who told him his boyfriend doesn’t like him. Imagine being _that_ asshole. Couldn’t be me.” He shook his head, as TJ contemplated his words. “Also, he’d probably think you’re talking shit. Like, no offence brother, but your involvement in this kinda makes you an unreliable source. He’d probably think you’re telling him for selfish reasons.”

TJ sighed, putting his head in his hands. “This is so unfair! Why does Reed get to treat Cyrus like shit, but _I’m_ the asshole.”

“I don’t know, bro, maybe it’s karma.”

“Karma. You know what that word means, big boy?”

“Shut up, man. Stop trying to be my dad.” 

With the grass dry and the sun shining, the Tigers were back to practicing their routine outside. Brittany was observing them today, giving advice where she could and making sure there wasn’t another injury, like the day previous.

They were just completing the final tosses, with Marty catching Buffy, Amber catching Natalie, and TJ catching Cyrus. After everyone else had put their partners down, TJ lingered for a moment, still smiling at Cyrus. Cyrus, still in his arms, smiled back.

“You can put me down, now,” he teased.

“Can I?” TJ joked. He let go for a moment, pretending to drop Cyrus and causing him to yelp. But he caught him before he could drop further, laughing at Cyrus’ wide eyed gasp. He finally put Cyrus down, watching as he walked away, noticing him occasionally looking back up at TJ.

“Great job, guys!” Brittany complimented, after they had gone through their routine. “Let’s take a little water break.” She gestured to the water cooler on the grass and the cheerleaders all headed towards it. 

“Hey,” TJ stopped Marty. “Do you think my hips are rotating too late before the final toss?”

“Y’know,” Marty began, sucking in a breath and nodding. “I wasn’t gonna say anything, but you gotta rotate and _then_ catch.”

“Right, okay. Rotate. Catch.” TJ mimicked the move, twisting his body and catching an imaginary Cyrus.

“Rotate,” they said in unison, both doing the move in sync. “Then catch. Rotate. Then catch.”

While doing this, and honestly fretting about how good his cheering was, TJ couldn’t help but laugh at how much ten days at cheer camp has changed him. He wondered what Chris would say if he saw him right now. Or all the basketball players. They’d probably die from shock.

“We’re out of water!” Amber declared, red-faced and draping herself tiredly over Andi’s shoulder.

“We need two volunteers to fill up the cooler,” Brittany announced.

“I’ll go,” TJ volunteered himself. Marty was about to join him, but someone else spoke first.

“Me, too,” Cyrus chirped, looking at TJ with a smile. Buffy and Marty both looked at Cyrus with surprise, before looking at each other, silently sharing a secret. When TJ and Cyrus left, Brittany came up to talk to Marty.

“Great work, Marty!” Brittany commented, sincerely. “I’m seeing real improvement in you guys, since you and your friend joined the team.”

“Wow,” Marty was startled at the compliment; he hardly ever gets compliments from adults, especially ones that he flirted with on the first day of cheer camp. “Thanks! And I’m sorry for the way I acted on the first day, by the way. That was kinda dumb.” Brittany shook her head with an understanding smile.

“It’s fine. Just, maybe chill out a little? Be less forward? And don’t try anything with college girls, until _you’re_ in college.”

“Got it,” Marty did finger guns at Brittany. “And thanks for being a great coach. Got any pointers for me? Ways I can do better?”

“Now that you mention it,” she started, eyeing him critically. “One arm looks kinda bigger than the other.”

“It does?”

“Yeah, you’re uneven. Make sure you don’t favour one side…” 

With that hypercritical comment, she was off to coach some other Tigers, leading Marty stood alone to look back and forth between his arms. Buffy, who watched his apology to Brittany, came over to him, smiling.

“That was nice of you-”

“Do you think one arm is bigger than the other?” He asked, voice laced with insecurity, lifting his arms up for her to see. She frowned at him and laughed at his nonsensical question, making him put his arms back down. “Nevermind. Stupid question. Of course one arm isn’t bigger than the other.” He shook off his previous insecurities, his cocky flare back. 

He considered bringing up what TJ mentioned at breakfast: the question of their relationship. But Buffy brought something up _far_ more important, before Marty could get another word in.

“Hey, wanna practice our reverse cartwheels?”

He sighed happily. “I thought you would never ask.”

TJ and Cyrus had just finished filling up the water cooler and were taking a tree lined path back to the field. Yellow light was trickling between the leaves, making TJ stare at the boy next to him with adoration. TJ had volunteered to carry the hefty cooler himself, but Cyrus insisted on helping, so they each grabbed a different part of the cooler and awkwardly side stepped their way back. 

“So,” TJ started talking to Cyrus from across the water cooler. “Is Doctor Reed gonna visit you, when he’s away at Illinois?”

“I don't know why he keeps calling himself that,” Cyrus laughed, ignoring TJ’s question. “It's kinda douchey.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” TJ dismissed him, but it came off as sarcastic, prompting Cyrus to look at him with teasing eyes. “It's _super_ cool.”

“I can't believe he's my _pre-fiancé_,” Cyrus said seriously, recalling Reed’s earlier comment. He looked ahead, his face conflicted, trying to focus on the task at hand rather than a future with Doctor Reed.

“But you’re happy about it, right?”

“I mean,” Cyrus began. “Yeah, I’m happy, but... like, I remember when I was 7, just after my parents divorced, and I decided that I was not gonna get married until I was 34.”

“That's very specific.” 

“Oh, I had it all thought out. High school, college, a year abroad in Greece-”

“Greece?”

“Yep. Because- and please don't laugh- I always loved Greek salad.”

“Tomatoes... cucumbers... feta..?” TJ questioned, trying to remember what a greek salad actually is. Cyrus responded with a nod and an ‘mhmm’. “No, that makes perfect sense.”

“You don’t have to pretend,” Cyrus responded bashfully. “I know. It's silly.”

“It’s not.” TJ looked at him warmly from across the container of water, their footsteps both slowing. “I love that you had it all planned out.”

Cyrus paused, getting lost in the moment, before snapping himself out of it and continuing: “Well, you know what John Lennon said.”

“Not really. I'm not in my 50s. I could ask my dad?” 

Cyrus sighed, before telling TJ: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

“Yeah.” TJ spoke in a breathy voice. He looked at Cyrus, the light shimmering over his skin, and wondered if he knew how much his words meant to him. He pursed his lips and looked down shyly. 

“Damn,” he groaned, looking at the cooler. “This is heavy.” He stopped and put it down, bringing Cyrus’ walking to a halt.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned. “You look hot. Do you want some water?”

“Yeah,” he replied without thinking. He stood and waited for Cyrus to bring him a cup of water, looking away. “Thanks… Wait, did you just-”

And suddenly a laughing Cyrus was throwing freezing water in his face. TJ let out an alarmingly loud, high pitched scream, jumping away, as water dripped down him. Cyrus was stood there, laughing at him, but TJ had other concerns.

“Did you say I looked hot?” he asked, smirking. Cyrus went red, but looked away, hiding his face.

“Uh… nope!” Cyrus replied.

“I'm pretty sure that's what I heard.”

“I heard you screaming like a baby!” 

“Oh, really? Well, I heard-” Then TJ's eyes zoned in on Cyrus’ shoulder. “Oh, my God.” 

“What?” 

“Don't move. There's a bee on you.” Cyrus froze, his entire body tense, and TJ began to move behind him, out of sight.

“No. Curse my sweet blood! Get it off!”

And while Cyrus’ back was turned, and his priorities shifted, TJ dumped the entire cooler of water over him. Cyrus’ body recoiled and danced around jumpily in the freezing water, while TJ laughed at his petty revenge.

“You bitch!” Cyrus spat, now dripping head to toe in water.

“You missed out on swimming yesterday! I thought I’d bring the pool to you!”

“You’re _dead_.”

“I’m bein’ a nice guy, you dick!” TJ picked up the empty cooler and ran back to the tap, to refill it, with Cyrus chasing him playfully the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOPEFULLY going to have another chapter out by the end of the day. it will take place on the same day as this chapter.


	14. Blue Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 10 part 2. TJ, Cyrus, Amber and Andi go for a night out. Cyrus makes an impulsive decision.

After hours of repetitive training and rigorous work outs, Cyrus decided he wanted to go out. “Not with Reed, for once,” he had said. TJ thought that was a strange way to talk about your boyfriend, but, then again, Reed didn’t exactly talk about Cyrus like he hung the stars in the sky. He said he wanted to go to some diner that the squad used to frequent in their early days of cheering, in middle school. Buffy warned TJ that the place had been a wasteland for about a year now, with fewer and fewer customers, and with fewer and fewer staff. But Cyrus wanted to go, so TJ went. 

And that’s how TJ and Cyrus ended up sliding into a blue booth, opposite Amber and Andi, at a worn out restaurant framed as a retro diner. Cyrus explained that when the squad cheered for the Jefferson Spikes, as opposed to the Grant Tigers, the diner was always bright and bustling. The staff were friendly, the aesthetic was gorgeous, the food was to die for. Now… not so much. When new management took over, they let the place die: letting most of the staff go, tearing out the jukebox and the neon signs, letting the paint fade into dullness. But, as sad as it sounds, it’s a place of nostalgia for the Tigers, as they’d been going there since they were kids. 

“Plus,” Cyrus explained. “They sell _everything_. If you want something, you got it. Even if it isn’t on the menu, just ask and they’ll put it together.”

“Wow,” TJ responded, putting the menu he was holding back on the table. “That’s kinda impressive.”

Amber rolled her eyes in annoyance. “I guess it’s fine. It’s no _The Spoon_, but it’s whatever.” Andi laughed fondly at her, pulling her head onto her shoulder for comfort.

When the waitress came over, she paid them no mind, simply grumpily taking their orders. Her demeanour didn’t seem to dull that of the kids’, however. They ordered with enthusiastic zest, requesting pancakes and milkshakes and other childish food, the nostalgia fueling their sudden craving for sugar. In a strange twist, TJ whispered his order in the waitresses ear. Cyrus and Andi gave him looks of amused disbelief. Amber’s laughter could be heard ringing through the restaurant. The waitress responded to TJ’s strange behaviour with a bored look and a “Was that really necessary?” before walking away, letting the kids descend into more laughter.

Before their food arrived, they had their milkshakes. They loudly slurped and talked. They talked about school and the tournament and the squad. Buffy’s desperate need to win came up, which Cyrus said he was very worried about, for the sake of her mental health. They talked about college and the future and the rest of their lives. 

Throughout the night, _Cyrus_ talked on his phone, tapping away to some unknown third party. TJ knew it was Reed and couldn’t stop the heavy cloud that weighed over him, every time Cyrus sent another text. He knew he had no right to be angry at anyone, but the frustration was overbearing. Everytime the white screen glared at him from across the booth, TJ wanted to grab Cyrus and shake him and yell “He’s using you! He doesn’t even like you! Stop wasting your time!” in his face. 

But something told him that _wouldn’t_ be a good idea.

“So, you guys are _twins_?” Cyrus asked at some point in the night, as they continued to ride out the long wait for their food.

TJ and Amber both nodded, speaking in unison. “Yep.” “Unfortunately.”

“So, who was born first? Who’s the older twin?” Andi asked, looking between them.

“_I_ am,” they said in unison. When they noticed that they had both given contradictory answers, neither of them looked angry. They just looked _bored_, like they had been discussing this for a while now.

Amber leaned back in her seat and gave an exaggerated groan, which made the few customers in the restaurant give her dirty looks. “Come on, give it a _rest_, buddy. You’re not the oldest. You don’t have to pretend anymore. You’re in a _safe_ space.”

“I _am_ the oldest!” TJ stuck by his answer. “It makes sense; I’m the tallest.” 

“I am also tall,” Amber said, frowning at her brother. “This argument means nothing to me.”

“Your _face_ means nothing to me…”

“OOH, BURN!” Amber mocked, cackling loudly. “What is this, sixth grade? Nice one, _Jag_. Got any more harsh digs?”

“Jag?” Andi whispered, confused.

“Do either of you actually _know_ who the older twin is?” Cyrus finally asked, interrupting their argument.

“No.” "No.”

“That information _might_ help your argument.”

“We have no idea,” Amber shrugged. “Our mom won’t tell us. She thought that if she told us who the older twin was, it would fuel some kinda _‘sibling rivalry’_. And we would argue all the time.”

“I think Ms. Kippen might wanna rethink her approach.”

At that moment, the waitress returned with their plates of food. Amber got a grilled cheese, Andi and Cyrus split a batch of pancakes, and there was a basket of baby taters for the table. And what did TJ get? What order did TJ mysteriously whisper in the grumpy waitresses ear?

Cyrus, who was momentarily glancing at a text from Reed, looked up to see that TJ had ordered…

“Greek salad?” Cyrus looked at TJ with stars in his eyes, putting his phone face down on the table. 

TJ shrugged. “You inspired me.”

Cyrus bit his lip, trying to contain his smile.

“I don’t get it,” Amber said bluntly. “Is this supposed to mean something?”

“I love feta!” Andi commented, stealing a cube of cheese from TJ’s plate.

“You want anything?” TJ asked, pushing the plate towards Cyrus. Cyrus stared at the plate, juggling a million thoughts in his head. Cyrus always assumed he was insignificant. Unnoticeable. TJ knew this. TJ knew just how important it would be, for someone like Cyrus, to have a friend think of him at all. TJ knew that Cyrus needed this solidarity, especially with a boyfriend as shitty as Reed. In a way, the plate was metaphorical: even if your _Doctor_ doesn’t work out, there’s always Greece.

Cyrus looked away from the plate of food, up towards TJ. His gaze swept over TJ’s face, reminding him of when Cyrus fixed up his split lip. With Reed’s first aid kit. TJ’s lip had almost completely healed from that injury. Almost.

With a slight smile, and a soft stare directed at TJ, Cyrus responded: “I’ll take whatever you want to give me.”

As the sky began to darken, more and more people left the diner. When Amber and Andi left, TJ stood up to leave too, but Cyrus wanted to stay longer, so TJ decided a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. A few more minutes turned into an hour of the pair talking and laughing and slowly emptying the bowl of greek salad. They mostly just spoke about nonsense, filling the time and searching for new topics, so that they wouldn't have to leave yet. They were midway through a conversation about TJ’s family, when Cyrus asked a question that got a seemingly bad response from TJ.

“So,” he began, comfortably. “You’re gay _and_ you have a gay twin? That’s pretty cool.”

TJ suddenly started choking on his food, becoming a loud, coughing mess. He took a long drink from his milkshake, his face red and his body temperature abruptly rising. After a while of coughing and pulling himself together, he gave his awkward response: “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess.”

Cyrus noticed how much more closed off he was now, and it sent his mind reeling. Maybe he wasn’t really gay. Maybe he _was_ straight, and that date with Cyrus had been some fluke, spur-of-the-moment, experiment-y type thing.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

TJ shook his head and waved a hand. “No, it’s fine. _I’m_ sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like that. It’s just…” He paused, but his mind didn’t supply a way to elaborate. “...y’know.”

Cyrus gave an understanding smile, making TJ’s heart beat faster. “I get it. Or, well, I _think_ I get it.” He shrugged, making TJ laugh. “Do you just have trouble saying the word? Or are you not…?”

Cyrus let the sentence drag into silence, leaving TJ to fill in the blanks. He looked away from Cyrus and then back again, coughing and swallowing before saying: “Uh, the- the first one.”

“Ah,” Cyrus nodded.

“I mean, it’s not that I don’t _know_,” TJ elaborated. “I know what’s goin on. And I like to think I’m…_fairly_ in touch with my feelings. At least, more than when I was in middle school,” TJ and Cyrus shared a knowing smile, in solidarity. “And I _can_ say it. I can say I’m- I’m gay.” Cyrus nodded, but noticed how TJ tensed up at the word, how he held his breath, and how deeply he sighed when the word was finally out. 

“Do many people know?”

“Yeah. I mean, my family does. Marty does.” TJ swallowed and pursed his lips. “No one at school does.”

“No one on the basketball team?”

“Nope.” TJ shook his head. “I haven’t told anyone on the team. I’ve only told, like, people who are important to me. Like Marty, and my family,” he paused. “And you, I guess.”

“I’m important?” Cyrus asked, with a shy smile, looking up at TJ like he was reading him. They were extremely close- not as close as they have been before, but they looked strangely intimate for two boys in a public setting. 

As much as TJ loved being close to Cyrus, this situation was too intimate. They were in a public place and Cyrus had a boyfriend. There was too much at stake, and it wasn’t worth the risk. As awful as Reed was, he was the one that Cyrus chose. Not TJ. And TJ knew he had to honor that. He looked away from Cyrus, shaking him off, putting some distance between them. Cyrus noticed this, looking away and blushing with embarrassment, hating himself for taking it too far.

“You know you’re important,” TJ said quietly, shaking his head.

There was a long silence before TJ spoke again.

“I guess I just don’t feel the need to come out. I kinda want to, but not so desperately that I _have_ to. You know what I mean?” TJ looked at Cyrus questioningly, and he nodded with seriousness. “It’s not that I feel unsafe; I don’t think I’d get _that_ much shit at school, at least to my face. And it would be nice to… hold hands with a guy down the hallway, walk him to his classes, shit like that.” TJ’s gaze nervously flickered between Cyrus and the table. “But right now it just… doesn’t feel right. I’m not ready to put myself on the line.”

“I get that,” Cyrus said, with a friendly smile. “It’s pretty scary stuff.”

“Yeah,” TJ continued. “I just know that once I do it _everything_ is gonna change.” He looked sadly at the table, his eyes wide with anxiety and his lower lip between his teeth. “I’ll never be able to take it back. I’m just not ready for that.”

“Well, sorry to bring it up, but you seemed pretty ready to ask me out, last week.” Cyrus smiled. His smile must’ve been contagious, because suddenly TJ felt a smile ease onto his lips. It wasn’t entirely sincere, but it lightened the mood nonetheless.

“Oh, yeah,” TJ said, with confusion. “Huh. I guess I just didn’t really think about it.” 

“Hey,” Cyrus put his hand on TJ’s shoulder, drawing his full attention. “You don’t have to worry; I won’t tell anyone at school.”

TJ shook his head, laughing slightly. “I know you won’t. It’s okay.”

“What happens at cheer camp stays at cheer camp.”

TJ looked down at the table, his false smile slipping slightly. “Yeah. Marty mentioned that.” Despite agreeing to go back to ‘how things were’, the reminder still hurt TJ. They would probably stop talking, after a while, once they went back to school. Infact, after he and Marty ditch their cheer tournament, Cyrus would probably flat out ignore him. Eventually, the events of this summer would just be a distant memory, which Cyrus would probably forget and TJ would probably remember for most of his adult life.

TJ continued: “Uh, hey, Cy?” Cyrus looked up at him, nodding. “I just want you to know, I haven’t told anyone else about what happened. And I won’t. Just like we promised.”

Cyrus swallowed, his smile flickering softly. “Thanks, TJ.”

“Have, uh-” TJ coughed again, nervousness getting to him. “Have you told anyone? Anyone else, I mean?” He couldn’t help the hope in his voice. While he was still nervous to come out to his friends, he kind of wanted people to know about him and Cyrus. Partly so Cyrus would have no way of ignoring him. Also because then TJ wouldn’t feel like the whole event had been a dream.

Cyrus shook his head solemnly: he hadn’t told anyone.

TJ inhaled deeply, wanting to seem unbothered. “Cool,” he said in a restrained voice. He looked around the empty restaurant, at the lifeless blue seats and the black that had settled outside. He looked back to Cyrus. “Hey, can we get outta here now?”

Cyrus nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

The two were strolling back to their room, a spring in their step from a pleasant night out. They were laughing and joking and telling funny stories, as well as teasing and nudging each other fondly with fake offence. 

“Shut up!” TJ yelled jokingly, while Cyrus laughed at him. While walking across the field, TJ was recalling the time Marty went on vacation and bought TJ a puka-shell necklace, which he immediately had an allergic reaction to. “It was a nice gift!”

“That is _such_ a lame gift,” Cyrus replied, shaking his head.

“He wanted me to look like a surfer!”

“_Why_ would he want that?!”

“I have no idea!” The two then laughed an equally loud laugh, which could definitely wake up those who were sleeping in their bunks.

“Can you even surf?”

“I _could_ surf! Come on, if it hadn’t given me a rash, I’m _sure_ I could’ve pulled it off. And _looking_ like a surfer would’ve motivated me to _actually_ learn to surf.”

“Shut up, that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Cyrus shook his head, earning a light shove from TJ. “Hey, you know who knows how to surf?”

“Who?”

“Reed,” Cyrus answered like TJ would be _delighted_ to hear that news.

TJ nodded, unable to prevent the irritation on his face from the sound of Reed’s name. “Good for him.”

“Maybe he could teach you?” Cyrus looked at him happily.

TJ scoffed. “Nah, I’m good, thanks.” They walked silently for a minute. There was something TJ wanted to say, but he didn’t know if it would be taking it too far. That night, however, he thought _’Fuck it._ and spoke his mind. “Cyrus? Can I be honest with you?”

“Sure. Why not.” 

“You’re _way_ too good for him.”

Cyrus sighed, looking down at his shoes. “Teej-” 

He was interrupted by TJ grabbing his shoulder, stopping him from walking and turning him to face TJ head on. TJ looked at him seriously, while Cyrus looked worried about what he would say next.

“No, I’m serious,” TJ began firmly. “And I’m not just saying this cause I… like you, or whatever-”

“You still like me?”

TJ flinched, realising how pathetic he sounded. It was strange having this unspoken thing be revealed, just like that. But TJ was sure that Cyrus already knew. There was no way he _couldn’t_ know. “I mean, yeah. It’s not like I can just turn it off.” Cyrus nodded, his mouth open slightly, still looking TJ in the eye. “And you’re still _you_, so of course I like you.” TJ laughed breathily, but this time Cyrus didn’t join him, continuing to stare. “You’re like this fuckin… amazing person. I just love being around you. You make me nervous…” TJ smiled, giving a sad laugh, and then bringing himself back to seriousness. “But you also make me calm. Like, more calm than I’ve ever been.

“And Reed… He doesn’t get that. He doesn’t understand it at all. And I’m not gonna say ‘I don’t know what you see in him’, or whatever, because I _do_ know. He’s been there your whole life and he’s like Mister Perfect, and he’s gonna be a doctor. He’s your _’childhood sweetheart’_, and all that. I know that.” TJ nodded. Cyrus looked at him painfully. “But that doesn’t mean he deserves you. He is such a piece of shit, Cyrus. This perfect guy, this guy you thought was so unattainable. He’s not good enough for you.”

“What, so _you_ are?” Cyrus bit back at him, but his voice had no conviction. He had glassy eyes and his lips quivered when he spoke. 

TJ looked at the ground and whispered “No,” just loud enough for Cyrus to hear. He looked, and felt, defeated. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m not.”

He looked back at Cyrus, and Cyrus looked back at him. His eyes were full of emotion. His breaths came out like light gasps, as if he couldn’t believe TJ had said that; as if he couldn’t comprehend the idea of _him_ being too good for someone else.

In that moment, TJ knew he had to tell Cyrus what he knew. About the gun. About the lies. About all of it. He could live with sounding mean, or with coming off as selfish, or even with Cyrus ignoring him for the rest of his life. What he couldn’t live with was knowing that Reed was using Cyrus, and doing nothing about it.

“Cyrus, there’s something I have to-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence because suddenly Cyrus’ lips were on his.

It wasn’t tender this time. It was harsh and rough and invigorating. Cyrus held the front of TJ’s shirt tightly in his fists, both of their hearts racing as he pushed hard into TJ, threatening to add a second bruise to his mouth. For Cyrus, it was like gasping for air. For TJ, it was like being shocked back to life, after being comatose for so long. TJ kissed back for a second with equal intensity, passionately breathing against Cyrus. 

But it wasn’t long before TJ remembered the reality of the situation and stepped away. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t kiss Cyrus while knowing he was with someone else. Both of their mouths were burning red, like matching scarlet letters. They looked at each other with equal shock, not saying a word.

“I’m sorry,” Cyrus breathed, looking away from TJ. His eyes were still wide, tears threatening to brim over. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did that.” He looked back up at TJ, who was still in a stunned silence. “I’ve done this to you twice now. I keep _fucking_ doing this.” The word ‘fucking’ was said with a harshness that finally let Cyrus’ tears spill down his face. “I’m so sorry.”

And with that final apology, he was gone. He ran away from TJ, leaving him alone once again. TJ then realised that they were never going to get over this. It wouldn’t _‘stay at cheer camp’_, and they wouldn’t _‘go back to the way they were’_. They were too far gone. Too many lines had been crossed.

That night, after a lonely walk back to his bunk, TJ climbed into bed and stayed awake for hours. He knew Cyrus wasn’t sleeping either. TJ recalled the night of the storm. He recalled tightly holding a crying Cyrus under the covers of his single bed. He recalled the warm body leaning into him, contrasting with the freezing rain outside. Suddenly, TJ’s small bed felt much too big, much too empty.


	15. She's Gonna Hate Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 11. Buffy tells Marty where she stands on their relationship. TJ and Marty go shopping and bump into Doctor Reed.

The next morning, Marty and TJ decided to “Make an entrance” (Marty’s words) when they went to cheer practice. Their idea of making an entrance included them entering the gymnasium with several flips, drawing the attention of their squad. Some laughed at the boys’ enthusiasm, while others, like Amber, not so much.

When the two of them finally stopped doing flip after flip, and were inside the gym, TJ stumbled back, feeling dizzy. Marty raised his fingers in the air and shouted: “Gang gang! Tigers, whassup!”, prompting even more laughs from his teammates. Amber then stormed up to the boys, dragging them away from prying eyes to tell them off.

“Jesus, Amber!” Marty exclaimed, after being dragged into one corner of the gym. “What is with Kippens and manhandling. You’re worse than Thelonious, over here.” TJ smacked his chest gently, for using his real name, but he was too dizzy to put any effort into it.

“What do you want, Amber?” TJ asked, rubbing his temple. “The room is deadass _spinning_. I knew that entrance shit was a bad idea.”

“What do _I_ want?” Amber asked rhetorically, making loud gestures and facial expressions. “I want you to take this seriously. Competition is three days away. Buffy is _freaking_ out. All I ask is that you quit messing around and don’t tick her off.”

“Buffy’s upset?” Marty asked with concern, making Amber raise an eyebrow. “I can talk to her, where is she?”

“I’m right here,” Buffy said, suddenly appearing by Marty’s side. “What’s this about me being upset? I’m fine- see?” She pointed at her mouth, giving an over enthusiastic smile.

“Just makin’ sure, Captain.” Marty smiled and instinctively slung an arm around Buffy, which she melted into with a sigh.

Amber looked between the pair suspiciously. “So, what, are you guys like a couple now?”

Marty nodded, about to say yes, at the same time as Buffy shook her head and said “Nah.” Marty looked at her confusedly, a look that she returned to him. “We’re just… hanging out.” She said this with furrowed brows, like it was something Marty should’ve known.

Amber pursed her lips, and TJ sucked in air through his teeth, as a response to the awkwardness. Amber nodded her head in a direction away from the couple and TJ followed, knowing to give them space to discuss this before practice. The siblings stood behind them, pretending to be especially interested in their stretching, while subtly eavesdropping on the drama. 

Marty pulled his arm back from Buffy and stepped in front of her. She suddenly felt a lot colder and more insecure, without his warmth, and reflexively wrapped her arms around herself.

“We’re, uh, not a couple?” Marty started, looking at her kindly, as to not pressure her into making a decision just to please him. “We’re just hanging out? What about the other night? That wasn’t just hanging out. I _hang out_ with TJ. That was a date, wasn’t it? ”

“The other night was great!” Buffy reassured, shaking her head. “It was an amazing date. And I really like you.”

“But…?”

“But…” Buffy twisted her hair around her finger, looking around the room at anything but the boy in front of her. “I’m not… looking for anything… serious…” She said the word serious slowly, dragging out every syllable, as if she was easing Marty into it.

“Really?” Marty asked, wearing a hurt expression. “Ah, shit.” Buffy was, like, the coolest girl that Marty had ever met, so he couldn’t help but be disappointed. He wondered, for a moment, if this was some kind of divine revenge; he didn’t want anything serious with any of the other girls he met at camp, so now the girl he _really_ likes doesn’t want anything serious with him.

“Wait,” Buffy said, waving her hands to dismiss his negative thoughts. “Let me finish: I don’t want anything serious… yet.”

“Yet?”

“Yeah.” Buffy shrugged, her face kind and sincere, her arms folded. “The tournament is in three days. I don’t want any distractions- no offence.” Marty laughed softly. “I’d like to get to know you more, once we get back to Shadyside. Spend some time together, maybe go on more of those ‘dates’. But while we’re here I just wanna… focus on the routine.”

“I won’t be a distraction, Buffy.” Marty tried to reassure her, but she shook her head.

“Yes... you will.” She gave him a flirty smile, which made him laugh and give one in return. “You already _do_ distract me.” She reached out a hand, lightly holding onto his fingers in the space between them. “Let’s just wait till the tournament’s over, okay? I want to do well, Marty. You can understand that.”

Marty nodded and they went over to the rest of the squad, to begin practice. However, he couldn’t actually understand it. He had never felt that committed to winning, at least in basketball. With cheerleading it was different, though. He did want to win. He wanted to impress the judges, and wave their victory in the Panthers’ faces, and for the Tigers to open one of those big bottles of champagne to celebrate their success. But there would be no competition- him and TJ were leaving in two days. And, unbeknownst to Buffy, there would be no _after_ the competition either; she’ll probably never speak to him again after he ditches her.

Practice was good, in the sense that they had their moves down to a tee. They were pretty much perfect now, and were only working on embellishing their moves and making them as natural and confident as possible. TJ still cheered on his teammates during these practices, telling them to “Get cocky!”, if they ever looked like they were doubting themselves. The routine was loud and exciting, especially with a snappy musical accompaniment. The routine had many layers, which made it all the more interesting: while lifts and cradles were happening in the back, often cheerleaders would come to the front, to do some powerful dance moves, taught to them by Judy and the other coaches. With impressive maneuvers and beautiful choreography, it would be shocking if they didn’t at least place in the top three.

There were only a couple of things that weren’t so good about practice. Firstly, Cyrus continually spared sad glances towards TJ. TJ could feel the heat of his stare, but whenever he looked at Cyrus he would instantly look away. And whenever TJ even tried to _talk_ to Cyrus, he suddenly excused himself or run away to talk to someone else. TJ knew, from the pink hue on his cheeks, that Cyrus was embarrassed about last night. He could also tell, from the dark circles around his eyes, that he had lost sleep over it. As annoyed and upset as TJ was at Cyrus for playing with his feelings, he knew none of it was purposeful. And Cyrus still didn’t know that Reed was using him. As far as Cyrus knew, he had just cheated on his “perfect guy” with some kid he barely knows, from his school. That’s enough to send someone down a shame-spiral, which would explain the running away. However, none of those logical thoughts could stop the surge of emotions that rushed through TJ’s stomach when he looked at Cyrus, or the dull ache of his lips, still sore from the night previous.

The other thing that made practice not-so-good was that Buffy was definitely not okay. The stress was visible on her face, and her cheerleader-smile looked fake as can be. Although their routine was almost perfect, when the smallest thing felt off to Buffy, she made them run it through over and over again. At one point, Amber and Iris were supposed to do matching high kicks, but, according to Buffy, they weren’t at equal height. This led to Buffy having the whole squad run a series of exercises to get their kicks higher. They went on for half an hour straight. Their kicks were more than perfect, but their mental and physical health didn’t feel so great, and Buffy _still_ wasn’t satisfied.

The whole room was panting and gasping for air. Amber, who felt guilty for her slightly lower kick being the cause of all of this, looked particularly worn out. Her face was slick with sweat, here eyes were glazed over, and her face looked redder than everyone else’s- which was saying something.

After noticing her girlfriend struggling, Andi was the one to finally put an end to Buffy’s craziness.  
“No more!” she yelled, her voice loud despite her obvious tiredness. When she stopped moving, everyone else stopped too, collapsing onto the floor. “This is crazy, B. Like, more than your usual crazy.” Most people in the room nodded. Andi crouched down, lifting Amber up and walking her out of the gym. “Come on, guys,” she called out. “We missed lunch.” Buffy looked around at her squad, as they hobbled past her.

And with that, everyone left. Buffy caught up with Marty, asking “I’m not being _that_ crazy, am I?”

Marty reassured her. “You’re not _crazy_. This is the same way TJ gets before a game. Just tone it down a bit, maybe. Go easy on the squad. They can’t _all_ be like you.” Buffy smiled at that, and they all walked to the cafeteria, for their late lunch.

After lunch, Marty and TJ ventured off campus into town. Marty dragged TJ store to store, with the intention of buying a gift for Buffy. He said it was a way of saying that he’s proud of her, for all the effort that she puts into the squad. He also said that it might be a way to soften the blow, after they ditch the competition, effectively ruining the Tigers’ routine. 

“Great idea,” TJ remarked, browsing the jewelry alongside Marty. “That way she’ll have something of yours to break, instead of like your leg, or something.”

“Shut up, man.” Marty tutted at TJ, looking at a necklace with a bee on it. “This is serious. You think she’ll like this?” He dangled the necklace in TJ’s face, and he batted it away, causing it to smack backwards into Marty’s forehead. “Ow. What the fuck? Is that a no?”

“How should I know, man? She’ll probably like anything you give her. Just don’t give it to her _after_ we skip out on her. It’ll probably look like some shitty apology and she’ll hate you even more.”

At those words, Marty’s expression soured towards the bee necklace. He put it back on the rack, it now feeling nowhere near good enough for Buffy. “This is so stupid. So many girls have shit with bees on it. There’s no way Buffy would wanna be that predictable.” He looked over at his friend, who was looking at a necklace and chewing on his lower lip. Marty peeked over TJ’s shoulder to see a necklace with a bronze chain and a black pendant with a small ‘C’ in the middle of it. Marty smiled sadly at TJ. “He has a boyfriend, dude.”

TJ flinched, startled at the voice behind his shoulder. He shook his head and sighed. “I know. Doubt Doctor Reed gets him anything, though.”

“You gonna give him that?”

TJ pursed his lips, staring at the object between his fingers. “Still deciding. It would be inappropriate, right?”

“It would be _super_ inappropriate, yes.”

“Well, what if _you_ gave it to him. And just don’t say it’s from me.”

“He’s not stupid, dude. He’s gonna know it’s from you. And then _Doctor Reed_ will give you a prostate exam with his foot.” Marty snickered at his own joke, while TJ let out a frustrated sigh and maintained his grip on the necklace. Marty rolled his eyes. “God, you’ve really got it bad for Goodman.”

“Yeah, well…” TJ shrugged, his voice going quiet. Marty grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him to face Marty, and looked at him incredulously.

“Seriously, though, man- is it worth it? I mean, _what_ makes this guy so great?”

“I don't know. There's just something about him,” TJ started smiling dazedly at the thought of Cyrus. “You know how he fell asleep on the bus? Or when I saw him reading that book... That he orders muffins for dessert…” Marty gave a deadpan expression at TJ’s dumb list of things he likes about Cyrus.

“Okay, now you're just listing _things_ that people _do_.”

“I am not!” He went silent for a minute, before smiling and continuing his list: “Sometimes he writes with a pencil.” 

“This is so much worse than I thought.” TJ ignored Marty’s comment, moving to the cash register and paying for the necklace. “So you're really into this guy?”

“Pretty much,” TJ sighed forlornly, as the two of them exited the store, hearing the bell jingle on their way out. They looked at each other as they walked down the street and talked.

“So, _why_ is he with that clown, again?” Marty asked, as confused and annoyed by the situation as TJ.

TJ was about to respond, when suddenly the _last_ two people he wanted to see were stood in front of him. Doctor Reed stood tall, as if he was sizing up TJ and Marty. He had his arm wrapped tightly around Cyrus’ shoulders, who looked shy and withdrawn in contrast to his boyfriend. He glanced briefly up at TJ and Marty, giving a weak smile before going back in on himself.

“What’s up, _guys_?” Reed said, dragging out the word ‘guys’. 

Marty, being the best friend _ever_ decided he would take the lead on this conversation.  
“Not much, just doin some shopping,” Marty said with nonchalance. His comment reminded TJ about the necklace in his hand, so he subtly stuffed it in his back pocket. “How you doin, Doctor Dick?”

Reed’s confident grin dropped into an annoyed frown, his grip on Cyrus tightening. “It’s Reed, asshole. _Doctor Reed_.”

“Oh, so sorry!” Marty put his hands up and lightened his voice, mocking Reed. “God, I keep doing that; you just look like such a _dick_ to me.”

Reed scoffed. “So what are you two, uh, _lovebirds_ talkin about?” he asked, grinning as he gestured between TJ and Marty. 

Neither of them were sure if that was supposed to offend them or make them uncomfortable, but if that was the intention it failed badly. The two frowned at Reed and put their arms around each other exaggeratedly. Marty squished TJ’s cheek against his own, maintaining eye contact with Reed.

“Oh, _us_ lovebirds? We’re just talking about how perfect we are together. How beautiful our relationship is.” Reed scowled at them, while Cyrus held back a laugh. TJ laughed and pulled himself away from Marty. “_Baaaaaabe!_ Come back!”

“Oh, wait,” Reed spoke menacingly. “No, _my_ bad! You’re with that Driscoll chick. The uh-the captain.”

Marty’s smile fell and he sucked in a breath. “Not really,” he said quietly, but quickly straightened his posture and resumed his cocky persona. “And she isn’t just that _Driscoll chick_. She’s your boyfriend’s best friend. Or did you not know that?”

Cyrus continued to shrink in on himself, as Reed gave Marty a dry look. “Of course I knew that. But I thought she was your girl; you guys looked pretty friendly the other night, on the road by the lake. Remember? I think I saw you guys running away from something; what _was_ that?” Marty froze at that memory, trying to steel himself while his heartbeat began to slowly pick up, his fight or flight kicking in.

TJ laughed nervously, as he began to walk away from the conversation, around Reed and Cyrus. “Come on, Party, let’s go.”

“Oh,” Reed continued to glare at Marty, his face smug. “Speaking of parties, did you guys know I’m having a party tonight? Down at my brother’s place?” With the arm that wasn’t acting as a python around Cyrus’ neck, he pointed his thumb behind him. “Not too far from here.”

“I did _not_ know that!” Marty responded, with fake enthusiasm.

“Yeah. You’re _not_ invited.” Reed let an angry silence hang in the air. Marty pouted sarcastically. “And tell your little bitch boy he can’t come either.” He gestured behind him, at TJ. TJ nodded and put his hands up in surrender. Reed took Cyrus and stomped away, crashing into Marty’s shoulder as he went.

Marty nodded to himself, TJ looking at him and shaking his head with amusion. Marty caught up with TJ and the two began their walk back to camp.

“So,” Marty started. “Reed wanted me to tell you that you’re a little bitch boy and you can’t come to his party.” 

TJ nodded at this sarcastically, like it was new information. 

Marty continued: “But we’re still goin right?”

TJ shook his head. “No way, man. Let’s skip out on this one-”

“Teej!”

“It’s a bad idea-”

“I’m Marty _From The Party_. If I don’t go that’s like a hate crime.”

As they continued walking, TJ turned his head to Marty, his eyes pleading. “Marty, it’s one party. Hosted by some guy that we don’t even like. You’ll survive.”

“Really? Because I’m not so sure.”

“I am _begging_ you. Please don’t go to this party.”

He went to the party.

After evening had settled, TJ got a notification on his phone: a text from Marty.

__**Mr The Party:** Sorryyyy i went to COCKtor reeds party LMAO  
LOOOL !!! GET ITT???  
Can u get me pls i don knnow where i am  
TTJJJJJJJJJJJK  
Tj can u come now pls im on the sofa come find e 

TJ frowned at the texts, worried at the idea that his best friend was intoxicated and all alone. All alone in a house with Doctor Reed. Marty dropped TJ a pin, giving TJ the location of Reed’s brother’s place, and he put on his jacket and went on his mission to retrieve Marty. 

TJ wrongly assumed that finding Marty would be easy. He was on the sofa, most houses only have one sofa in their living room. This _should’ve_ been a piece of cake. Key word: _should’ve_. 

Reed’s brother’s house was covered in wooden panelling. It towered over TJ and had many windows, that flashing light would echo out of. The door was open and there was a constant flow of people coming in and out. The front yard was swarming with people and empty beer cans and dead joints. In place of any lawn furniture, Reed’s brother had set up a few shaggy-looking couches, clearly worn out and pulled from some kind of junk yard. TJ scanned the sofas for his friend. He had no luck, but he did spot some people he knew: Amber and Andi. They were sat on one of these sofas, Amber slouched against the cushions and Andi laying across her lap. 

“TJ?!” Amber called out, leaning forward in disbelief. TJ approached the two girls. 

“Teeeeejayyyyy!” Andi greeted blissfully, slightly tipsy. “Come sit with us!” 

“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t invited.” Amber’s voice was more concerned than hostile. 

“I’m not,” TJ responded seriously. “I’m just looking for Marty. You seen him?” The girls shook their heads. “Thanks anyway... Hey, how come you guys got invited to this thing?” 

“I have no idea!” Andi laughed, messily wrapping her arms around Amber’s neck. 

“He doesn’t even like us,” Amber said seriously. “He doesn’t like _any_ of Cy’s friends. I think he might’ve invited us just to piss you guys off.” 

TJ raised his eyebrows. “Wow, what a class act.” 

The party was dark, in both senses of the word. Inside, TJ couldn’t see shit, but occasionally a burst of white or purple or red light would flash, from god knows where, across the sea of people. Most of these people were college students, probably friends with Reed’s brother, but there were still people who were TJ and Marty’s age littered around. The music was overwhelmingly loud, playing songs that TJ hadn’t heard of, the bass shaking the room and vibrating across TJ’s skin. There was a sizable crowd of strangers dancing in the living room, and people all up and down the stairs, smoking and dancing and daring each other to jump off the wooden railing. The kitchen, however, was much brighter than the rest of the house, so TJ pushed past the crowd to get there, frequently being ambushed by dancing girls. 

The kitchen was harshly lit, with countertops full of liquor and beer and whatever else. TJ stood there, trying to reorient himself, looking around into the crowd. Some people came up to him, offering him drinks that he would politely decline. At one point, a group of three-or-so older college students bustled into the kitchen and did lines on the counter in front of him. He swallowed nervously, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans, and did his best to avoid eye contact with the three strangers. After seeing that, and knowing what kind of stuff was going on at this party, TJ became even more determined to find his best friend. 

“TJ!” TJ turned to his right and found Iris and Natalie stood excitedly beside him. “What the fuck are _you_ doin here?” Iris encapsulated him in a warm hug, pressing her face into his chest, and he responded by patting her on the back. When she pulled away from him, she went back to Natalie, giving her a hug from the side. 

“Reed’s gonna kill you, dude.” Natalie giggled, causing Iris to giggle along with her. TJ gave a sarcastic smile and then went back to his look of blunt determination. 

“Hey, have you guys seen Marty?” 

“Yeah,” Natalie nodded, pointing towards the crowded living room. “He should be out there, somewhere.” 

TJ looked back into the living room, and noticed a sofa pressed against one of the walls. When a flash of light allowed him to actually _see_ into the pitch black living room, he spotted Marty sat up on the sofa, talking to a girl around their age. He was shaking his head emphatically, while the girl and her friends laughed loudly at his drunken behaviour. TJ went into the living room, grabbing Marty by the arm and pulling him up. 

“Holy shit, Teej!” Marty jumped up onto his best friend, breathing a sigh of relief against him. TJ laughed at his enthusiasm. “Teej, I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s fine, buddy,” TJ hugged Marty tightly. “Let’s just get out of here, yeah?” Marty responded with some chaotic nodding. 

TJ and Marty walked across the lawn, Marty leaning against him and staggering awkwardly. As they passed through, TJ checked one of the shaggy couches, seeing that Andi was now asleep, with Amber absentmindedly stroking her hair. Marty began to slip under TJ’s arm, his legs threatening to give way, so TJ brought his attention back and straightened his friend up, continuing to make their way back to camp. That was until yet another Tiger, at this party, called his name. 

“TJ!” 

This time, TJ paused. Standing still with his intoxicated friend, he inhaled a deep breath and shut his eyes, preparing himself to face Cyrus. Marty sloppily craned his head around to face the boy behind them, whispering “Oh, shit, it’s Cyrus!”, loud enough for both TJ and Cyrus to hear. TJ finally turned around and faced him, Marty stumbling alongside him. 

Standing alone, in the middle of Reed’s brother’s lawn, Cyrus looked vulnerable. His eyes looked longingly up at TJ, his feet firmly on the ground, as he fiddled with his fingers anxiously. 

“Hey,” TJ responded, trying to drain his voice of emotion. 

“You came,” Cyrus acknowledged, smiling. “Cool.” 

TJ nodded. “I had to get Marty. He came here without thinking and texted me to pick him up.” 

Cyrus smiled shyly. “That’s… really sweet of you, Teej.” 

TJ hummed in agreement, not wanting to take the compliment too seriously. “We take care of each other. He would do the same for me.” Marty gave a drunken ‘Mhmm’ against TJ’s shoulder. 

Cyrus gave a shaky smile. He paused for a minute, not breaking eye contact with TJ. Then he spoke, with a friendly voice full of forced laughter, walking closer to TJ and Marty. “Hey, you won’t believe what Iris just said-” 

“We’re going back to camp,” TJ interrupted, trying to sound cold and firm, but his voice trembled. He took a step back with Marty in tow. He didn’t want Cyrus to get too close to him. Cyrus swallowed sadly. 

“You’re leaving?” 

“Well, we sorta weren’t even invited. Remember?” Cyrus nodded. “You should go back, though.” TJ tried to use as kind and as sincere a voice as possible, but he knew his face was betraying him. “Reed’s probably waiting for you.” 

“Ha, ha. Cock-tor Reed…” Marty laughed against TJ’s shirt, making him smile. “Teej, give ‘mm the necklace.” TJ was _not_ smiling anymore. 

“What?” Cyrus questioned. 

“We gotta go-” TJ started to walk Marty backwards, but he suddenly became very talkative. 

“He likes you _soooo_ much,” he slurred, looking straight at Cyrus. Beside him, TJ’s face burned. “Because you… write with a penc’l,” Marty cracked up at this, but the other two boys stood staring at each other. “He got you a necklace. Teej! Give it to ‘im!” 

“What necklace?” Cyrus asked, his voice extremely soft, as he walked closer to the pair. 

“There’s no necklace-” 

“Yesss, there is!” Marty squealed. He decided he was going to have to use force to get TJ to hand over the gift. He stumbled away from TJ’s grasp reached his hand into his back pocket. “It’s here! In his ass pocket!” 

TJ tried to carefully push his best friend away. “Get off me, handsy!” All Cyrus could do was watch these two friends hop around and push each other. 

“Aha!” Marty pulled the bronze chain out, walking uneasily over to Cyrus and placing it in his hand. “From TJ!” 

Cyrus still stood there, necklace in hand, saying nothing. TJ finally pulled Marty away, waving a goodbye as Marty continued to shout about how much TJ likes Cyrus. TJ was mortified, his breathing heavy and his face burning red, but he had other things to worry about, like getting Marty back safely. 

“You’re such an asshole,” TJ said to his drunken friend, as they slowly made their way back to camp. 

“I was doin you a fav’r, Mickey!” Marty exclaimed, waving his hands around foolishly. 

“Mickey?” 

“Like _Mick_ Jagger.” 

“Fuck you,” TJ sighed, causing Marty to break into a fit of laughter. “Why are you so hard to be friends with?” 

Marty laughed, leaning against TJ. “Whatever, man. You wouldn’t h’ve given it to ‘im anyway. Would be a… waste of fuckin’ money.” 

“I _was_ going to give it to him,” TJ said firmly. “Just, not in person." 

“_How_ the fuck did you plan on doing that?” 

“I was gonna, like…” his voice turned shy and almost inaudible. “Put it on his pillow, or somethin.” 

Marty erupted with laughter. “That’s some gay shit, man. Oh, my God.” 

“Shut up,” TJ said fondly, steadying his friend as they turned a corner. 

That night, TJ helped Marty brush his teeth and get ready. He dumped Marty’s clothes on the floor, no longer caring about Jonah’s no-clutter rule. When TJ finally settled Marty in his bed, pulling the covers around him, Marty drunkenly explained the real reason he wanted to go out and party so desperately: he was freaking out about Buffy. 

As much as TJ liked Cyrus, Marty liked Buffy just as much. Marty mumbled against his pillow that “There’s no one like her, man. She’s… _it_.” In his haze, he explained to TJ that he knew he would lose Buffy after the tournament, and no amount of jewelry would fix the mistake he was about to make. 

“I’m so stupid…” Marty whispered, his eyes welling up with tears. “She’s gonna hate me.” 

TJ reassured him, but he wasn’t completely confident in his words. 

The next time they saw each other was the following morning. Marty was up before TJ and _miraculously_ had little-to no hangover (“I don’t get hangovers. I was literally _made_ to party, dude”). Most of the girls at practice were okay, as well, but Buffy still scolded them about drinking so close to the tournament. Marty tried to join in, with a “Yeah, guys!”, but Buffy rolled her eyes and gave him a knowing look. Their practice remained as hardcore as ever, Buffy barely taking Marty’s advice from the previous day. TJ tried to focus on the routine, but his concentration was constantly being drawn back to his and Marty’s plan for tomorrow; his mind was stuck on the bus tickets that sat, like a ticking time bomb, under Marty’s bed. But TJ kept his mouth shut. He was determined to leave tomorrow. He needed to get away from Cyrus and the squad and all of uncertainty that this camp had brought him. So, despite his anxieties, he kept quiet during practice. 

And if he saw a thin bronze chain, peeking out from the top of Cyrus’ shirt, he didn’t mention it. He was probably just deluding himself, anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So usually i update daily but this next chap might take two days bc there's a scene in it that ive been planning since day 1 so like,, i wanna get it right ygm. 
> 
> But probably won't take much longer than that bc I get antsy if I take too long to post. nonetheless pls leave any feedback, comments, kudos to encourage me to write quicker lmao. I'm tryna get it done and I need the motivation


	16. Know Your Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 12. TJ makes plans to avoid spending time with Kira. Marty and Buffy go to the pool, after hours.

After a long, thorough practice, TJ went outside to fill up his bottle at the cooler. It was there that he was met by Kira. She jogged up to him, her hair bouncing in its usual high ponytail, and greeted him with a smile.

“TJ!” she called. He turned and smiled back at her. “Hey. You done with practice for the day?”

“Looks like it,” TJ assessed, looking towards the gymnasium that had a stream of Tigers pouring out of its doors. One of those Tigers was Cyrus, who was ever so slowly making his way towards TJ, his hands fiddling nervously and his eyes full of intent.

“Cool, because I was wondering if you wanna go out tonight?” Kira asked. TJ looked away from Cyrus then, focusing on the question.

“What? With you?” 

“Duh,” she laughed. “Yeah, the local hockey team is having a game nearby. I thought it might be cool if we went together.”

“That sounds great!” TJ exclaimed, making Kira smile brightly. “I’m in. Should I invite the rest of the Tigers?”

She laughed again. “Good one.”

He furrowed his brow in confusion. “Can I not invite them?”

“Well, I guess you _could_, but I was kinda hoping this would be a ‘just us’ type, thing.”

“_‘Just us thing’_?”

“Y’know. Like a date.”

_’Oh, jeez,’_ he thought. TJ really wished he had listened to Marty’s advice about not leading girls on and letting them get ‘too attached’. _’My bad.’_

“Oh.” TJ suddenly became much more nervous, turning back to the cooler and filling up his bottle to avoid Kira’s curious stare. “I-I can’t.”

He turned around, after filling his bottle, to see Kira with her lips in a tight line and her eyes full of judgement.

“You _can’t_ go on a date with me?” She folded her arms. “Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No! No, it’s not that. It’s just- It’s just that I _can’t_. I can’t because I’m…” The words were on the tip of his tongue, but under Kira’s glare he just couldn’t say it. He didn’t want to be out in the open with her. It didn’t feel worth it to cross that line. So he went with another excuse. “I’m busy.” _Sure, that’ll work._ “Yeah, I-I have plans.” Even to TJ himself, it didn’t sound convincing.

“Oh, yeah? With who?” Kira raised an eyebrow.

He scanned the area behind her and found Cyrus, walking towards them, now much closer. Cyrus was probably the one person that he _shouldn’t_ be making plans with. And yet, his brain short circuited and he said: “Cyrus!” 

Cyrus jumped, startled by his own name being called. “Yeah?” he responded, timidly. Kira slowly turned around to glare at Cyrus.

“I was just telling Kira that we have plans tonight.” TJ’s voice and facial movements were over the top enough for Cyrus to get the message. “Right, Cy?”

Cyrus nodded, his eyes wide. “Uh-huh. Yeah.” He gulped, knowing that Kira still wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, Marty and Buffy have a thing tonight, so me and TJ were gonna hang out. TJ and I.”

Kira looked down, pondering the information she was being given, before looking back up at Cyrus. “Okay.” Both TJ and Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief at her apparent belief in their fake plans. Cyrus started to walk closer to the two, but Kira raised a hand and he halted. “Wait, Cyrus, can you give me and T a minute to talk?” Cyrus gave the two a questioning look, looking back and forth between them. “Alone?” Cyrus knew that was his cue, so he stepped further back and waited for them to have their conversation. Kira turned back around, looking at TJ with a sharp glare.

“What’s up?” TJ started. Kira’s glare faded away, morphing into a cross between amused and faux-pity.

“You like _him_.”

“What?” TJ’s mouth opened and his eyes went wide, his pulse increasing. “No?”

“Yes, you do. I’m not stupid. I can _see_ you. We _all_ see you.” She gestured around the field, her voice venomous, making TJ look left to right anxiously. “Look it’s cool if you’re _gay_, or whatever.” He looked back at her, not liking the way that word sounded in her mouth. “But Goodman?”

TJ swallowed, this conversation becoming overwhelmingly painful. “Look, can you not tell anyone?”

“Everyone knows, TJ.” He looked around for an escape from this conversation, feeling troubled by this short, skinny cheerleader with a devilish smirk. He wrapped his arms around himself and shifted back and forth on his feet. “Goodman’s not really… boyfriend material. For anyone except Reed, that is.”

“Reed’s an asshole-”

“He is. You’re right. But Cyrus is in _love_ with him.” TJ looked down at his feet. “You can’t really compete with that. Sure, they have their differences, but... Look at this week: all it took was _one_ phone call for him to go running back to _Doctor Reed._” She said his name in a teasing voice, but it didn’t make him laugh that time. In fact, nothing at all felt funny.

“Kira,” TJ looked back up, clearing his throat and making eye contact with her. “With all due respect, this is none of your business. You don’t really know what you’re talking about.”

“I know that he likes you.” Kira smiled up at him, but this time TJ wasn’t so quick to trust it. “Of course, he likes you; you’re a _great_ guy. He _kissed_ you; you must mean _something_ to him.” TJ was taken aback by that comment. ‘_How did she know that?’_

She continued: “But Reed has been with him forever. That kiss must’ve meant everything to you, but Reed is his pre-fiancé-”

“How do you _know_ all this shit, Kira?!” he spat, moving in closer to her. He didn’t mean to sound so mean, but it didn’t matter. He could tell by Kira’s face that he didn’t intimidate her.

“Because I have eyes TJ. And fucking ears.” With the facade of friendliness dropped, Kira’s words came out like bites. “You and your friends aren’t exactly quiet. And _you_ are not exactly subtle.” She looked him up and down critically. Despite towering over her, he had never felt so small. “All I’m saying is, if you’re looking to get with someone, he’s a bad choice. You should be with someone who puts you first.” She turned her head, looking back towards Cyrus. “And with him, you’ll never know your place.” She turned back to TJ, hitting him with a furious scowl. “I’ll take someone else to hockey. See you around.” 

She whipped her ponytail in his face and walked purposefully out of his sight, leaving him to wallow in her words. But he couldn’t feel sorry for himself for too long, because suddenly the polar opposite of Kira was standing two feet away from him.

“So,” Cyrus started chirpily. Suddenly cautious about being too _obvious_, TJ backed up a few feet from Cyrus, making him give TJ a strange look. “Uh, what time you wanna go out tonight?”

“Cyrus, we don’t actually have plans,” TJ laughed, giving him a questioning look. 

“I know. But I _actually_ do wanna talk to you.”

As he was also worried about being too loud, TJ looked left to right, scanning the field for any potential bystanders. The coast was clear. “Then let’s talk right now.”

“Right now?” TJ nodded and Cyrus looked worriedly around. “I’d kinda prefer to talk about this later. Plus I don’t have any plans for once. I wasn’t kidding about Buffy and Marty hanging out tonight.”

TJ laughed. “Seriously? What are _they_ doin tonight?”

That night, Marty and Buffy could be found at the pool, after curfew. The two of them were in the water, which came up to their necks, creating ripples everytime they moved. Marty was in a swimming shirt and shorts, while Buffy was in a practical black bathing suit that was clearly meant for professional swimmers. The bright aqua colour of the well-lit pool contrasted with the darkness around them, making their faces glow blue. 

This time was different from the lake; instead of being ambushed by random Panthers, they were _actually_ training. Marty knew it was what Buffy wanted to do, practically a day before competition. They were practicing their underwater handstands at the same time, when they both came up for air gasping and laughing.

“Holy shit,” Buffy started, wiping the water from her face. “You’re right: practicing in water is _way_ better.”

“Exactly!” Marty smiled. He knew Buffy would get it. “It’s the water resistance. It, like, strengthens-”

“Yeah, there’s like double the compound, half the-”

“Half the measure!” Marty excitedly enveloped Buffy’s stomach in an underwater hug and lifted her up in the air, causing her to yelp. “You’re _amazing_. You’re the best cheerleader here.” Buffy shielded her blushing face in embarrassment, as Marty held her above the water. “Say it: you’re the best cheerleader here.”

Buffy looked shocked at the idea. “I am _not_ saying _that_!”

“Yeah, you’re not saying it; you’re _shouting_ it.” Buffy cackled a laugh, shaking her head. “Shout it! Say _I’m the best cheerleader here!_” He gave a whispery impression of her shouting.

“What if someone hears me?” she looked around panickedly, but still smiling.

“Good. They should know,” Marty’s voice suddenly got much louder. “_BUFFY DRISCOLL IS THE B-_” 

Marty couldn’t finish his announcement, because Buffy was covering his mouth and pulling them both into the water. A large splash erupted around them as they rushed through the depths of the pool, before bobbing to the surface. When they both stood up again, Buffy was grinning cheesily, while Marty was shaking water out of his face.

Marty continued: “Okay, uh, what the fuck?”

“Stop yelling!” Buffy giggled while she spoke. Marty shrugged at this.

“Okay, fine. I can be quiet.” He swam close to Buffy, so that they were barely an inch apart. Buffy held her breath. Marty smiled, unable to contain his joy around her, and whispered: “Buffy. You’re the _best_ cheerleader here.”

If Buffy was blushing before, she was blushing much more now. “Yeah?” she asked, moving in even closer.

“Yeah. You’re the best cheerleader here. And the Tigers are the best squad…” He wrapped his arms around Buffy’s waist, picking her up again, as she draped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around him for balance. She was smiling like crazy, and he continued to whisper close to her face. “And you’re gonna win that competition. And get a big fuckin trophy to wave in Kira’s face.”

Buffy laughed loudly before saying: “You forgot something”

Marty furrowed his brows. “What’d I forget?”

“That I’m also an _outstanding_ ball player,” she said in a jokey tone, fluttering her lashes.

“You’re the best ball player I’ve ever _seen_,” he said seriously. “Maybe even better than TJ, but don’t you _dare_ repeat that!”

Buffy laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “You’re amazing,” she sighed. 

“No, _you’re_ amazing.”

Buffy pulled away from his shoulder, moving challengingly closer to his face, her forehead coming to rest against his. “No, _you_ are,” she said louder than him. 

“No,” he whispered. “You are.”

Buffy let her guard down for a moment, allowing her gaze to drop to Marty’s lips. Marty kept his eyes on her, the world around them falling into silence, as he moved closer to her. However, Marty’s movement jolted her out of her trance. She looked back up at his eyes, pulling her head back slightly. She laughed awkwardly. Marty knew her guard was back up, so he backed away.

“Hey, wanna do handstands again?” she suggested. “I bet I can do mine for longer.”

Marty laughed quietly. “Sure. Do your worst, Driscoll.”

They practiced handstands for a while, constantly one-upping each other, before Marty suggested that they see who can hold their breath underwater for the longest. Buffy accepted this. They even shook on it, until Marty started shaking too violently and splashed water in both their faces.

Marty went first, shrinking under the water for a while, before standing up, his hand still clenched around his nose.

“28,” Buffy told Marty his time with certainty.

“Bullshit,” Marty argued. “That was 30.”

Buffy smiled, backing away, ready to take her turn. “Fine!” she said. “Let’s go with 30.”  
Marty tried to argue with her, but she had already descended under the cool blue water. He stared down at her, through the ripples of the pool, counting her time in his head.

Under the water, Buffy held her breath for 10, 15 and then 20 seconds. For that time she had her eyes closed. At 21, she allowed herself to look around. Her vision was mostly clouded by the water, only able to see Marty’s body and the square tiles below her feet, but she liked that. She liked the quiet, the lack of chaos. 

After being above for so long, bombarded by vividly coloured cheer uniforms and orange fake tans and harsly whitened smiles, it felt nice to be in the quiet. The water drowned out any possible sound. Even the chirp of crickets and the gentle sputter of the sprinklers were gone. 

She couldn’t hear her thoughts: thoughts of Kira beating her, TJ isolating her from basketball, her mom leaving, and doing badly at the competition. All that stress was suddenly crushed under the water. Buffy finally felt alone. Obviously, in reality, she wasn’t alone: Marty was with her. But she felt grateful for that. His presence was a calming one.

Buffy wished she could stay down there forever. The thought of having to resurface, of having to face the pressure of some competition, felt more suffocating than the water swirling around her. She couldn’t stop her brain from getting stuck on that thought, like she was choking on it. 

And suddenly it had been 45 seconds and she really _was_ choking. Her body was scouring for oxygen where there was none, and she could no longer resist the urge to let go of the breath she was holding. Bubbles of air flew up out of her mouth. She began to cough, and inhale a painful gulp of water, and cough again. Being underwater didn’t feel so calm anymore.

Marty swam downwards, pulling her up to the surface. The cold air startled Buffy, and the sounds of the outdoors were no longer muffled. She gasped for a relieving breath, letting out an ugly wheeze. Marty had wide eyes, holding her close above the water, his breaths just as short and loud as hers. They were close to each other, but this wasn’t the moment that they would kiss. They just gave each other crazed stares, while Marty carried Buffy to the edge of the pool. In Marty’s eyes there was a question, that Buffy could perfectly read: _Why did you do that?_ And Buffy tried to communicate with him, with her equally bewildered stare, that she just didn’t know.

TJ had tried to tell Cyrus that they didn’t have to hang out; it was just an excuse he needed to give Kira. Nonetheless, Cyrus and TJ ended up sneaking out of their bunks and walking silently to the gymnasium. For a moment, TJ worried about Coach Mack finding them again, but Cyrus had chosen a particularly loud night to sneak out. The sprinklers felt louder, noisy crickets were chirping in the distance, and TJ swore he heard someone shouting, followed by a loud splash.

“So,” TJ started talking quietly, when they reached the gym doors. Cyrus searched around in his bag, eventually producing a key. After hearing the lock click, Cyrus pushed open the door. “Not that I’m not super down to hang out tonight, but why the gym?”

Cyrus shrugged, stepping into the room and flicking the lights on. “Well, I wanted to talk. And I didn’t want to be overheard by our bunkmates again,” TJ huffed a laugh, stepping inside and closing the doors. “And I didn’t want to walk super far, so off-campus was out. And this is the only place I have a key to, so… here we are!”

TJ nodded, walking further into the room. “And _why_ do you have the key to the gym?”

“Iris took it from one of the coaches, last year, and made copies.” TJ raised his eyebrows at this. “It was after the whole pie thing. I think she just wanted a place to be alone. To hide, or something.” Cyrus sat down on one of the blue mats in the far corner, which was still laying out from an earlier practice. TJ stood awkwardly around him, before finally taking a seat next to him on the mat.

“Is that what we’re doing here?” TJ leaned back on his hands, crossing his legs, and gave Cyrus a sad smile. “Being alone? Hiding?”

Cyrus shook his head, frowning. “No. We’re just talking.” 

“Right.” He paused. Inhaled. “But, the thing is, I don’t know if I believe you, right now.” Cyrus looked upset at that. “Like, your mouth is saying one thing, but your mouth was saying something totally different a couple nights ago.”

Cyrus blushed and looked away. “I know,” he said, his voice restrained. “And I’m sorry for that. For… all of it.” TJ nodded at him and they fell into silence.

TJ looked around the gym, at the high ceilings and the clean wooden floors. Most of the equipment had been tucked away, the benches stacked and the blinds shut. It was strange to in the gym while its empty. TJ almost missed the squeak of plimsolls against the floor and the tedious sound of Buffy yelling. He missed the sound of the girls’ laughing and high fiving when they got a move perfect, and the stereo blasting music that he had only heard from Amber’s bedroom. He even missed Cyrus’ voice, in the early days, before things got awkward. He missed the way Cyrus would always tell him to be careful before he did a dangerous move, or would give himself positive affirmations under his breath.

It was hard to admit, but TJ was honestly going to miss cheer camp.

“You worried about competition?” he turned and asked Cyrus. Cyrus sighed and leaned back on his palms, unintentionally mimicking TJ’s posture.

“Yes,” he nodded. “But less so than last year. And all the years before that.” He paused, before giving TJ an honest look. “We’re better than we’ve ever been. I didn’t know it, but… we really needed you guys.”

TJ smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. You and Marty are like the missing pieces. You’ve really helped.”

TJ sat in silence for a moment, taking in the compliment. “Thanks. It sounds weird, but you guys have kinda helped us too. I’m actually _really_ glad we came.”

Cyrus smiled at him and TJ realised he hadn’t lied once. He really was happy to be there. As desperate as he was to escape, he wouldn’t take back the last two weeks.

“TJ?” Cyrus said loudly, evoking a nod from TJ. Cyrus swallowed nervously, which echoed around the empty room, as he prepared himself for what he was about to say:

“I broke up with Reed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gna be a part two to this night. It was all gna be one big chapter but it got BIG and im TIRED so I'm splitting it into two chapters bc idk i guess im quirky like that.  
New chap coming sooner than usual is my point.


	17. No Fuckin' Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 12 part two.

“I broke up with Reed.”

That certainly got TJ’s attention. 

He raised his eyebrows and his mouth hung open. “You, _what?_” 

“I dumped him.” Cyrus spoke with unshakeable confidence. TJ sat up straight from his slouching position. He wanted to jump for joy and yell _”FINALLY!”_, but he had to make sure Cyrus was okay first.

“Wow. Are you- are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he nodded. “But… I think I made the wrong choice.”

Cyrus’ eyes flickered around his face, smiling sadly. TJ drew in a nervous breath, knowing what Cyrus meant. He shook his head. “It’s not like you ever really _had_ a choice; he just showed up and said that you guys were dating.”

“True,” Cyrus nodded. “But I wish I listened to you. With the whole… I don’t _have_ to be with him, thing.” TJ pursed his lips; he wished Cy had listened to him too. 

“So, why’d you break up with him?”

Cyrus’ eyes widened, as he remembered the long list of things Reed had done. “Lotta reasons. But, the main one, is that… he was kinda using me.”

“Using you?” TJ asked. He wanted to let Cyrus explain as much as he wanted to, rather than blurt out ‘Yeah, I already knew’.

“Buffy heard him talking about it,” Cyrus elaborated. “Him and his friends were just saying all this…” He stopped talking, deep in thought about what Buffy had revealed to him.

“You don’t have to tell me,” TJ assured him.

“Thanks. It’s kinda embarrassing. I don’t really wanna go too into specifics.” TJ nodded, letting Cyrus know that it was okay.

“But are you sure you’re okay?” It hurt TJ to think about, but he knew Reed must have been important to Cyrus. “I mean, you kinda just broke up with your childhood-”

“My childhood sweetheart?” TJ nodded. “Turns out, not so sweet.” TJ winced and Cyrus responded with a shrug. “He wasn’t who I thought he was. I don’t think he _ever_ was, but I kept convincing myself that it would be different with us. That I could change him, or something. I don’t know.”

Cyrus glanced away and TJ looked at him honestly, for a moment. Cyrus was the type of person who would take a ridiculous amount of shit from someone and _still_ insist on saving them. TJ admired Cyrus, how peaceful he looked under the buzzing of the bright gym lights. He radiated kindness, looking almost ethereal. TJ couldn’t believe Reed had put him through all that. 

“You were always too good for him.”

Cyrus looked back at TJ and smiled warmly. “I know that now.”

“So, how _do_ you feel?”

Cyrus contemplated this. “I feel… relief, mostly.” TJ smiled at this. “With a hint of _stupid_.”

“Stupid?”

“I wish I knew earlier,” Cyrus explained vulnerably. “Now I just feel so _stupid_ for staying with him. I didn’t even like him. I just _really_ wanted to. I was so dumb. I wasted so much time, and for what?”

“It’s not your fault.” TJ moved sideways, nudging Cyrus with his shoulder. “None of it is your fault.”

Slowly, TJ began to feel light pressure on his fingers. He looked back at his hand, realising that Cyrus was brushing TJ’s fingers with his own. He held back a gasp and looked back up to Cyrus, his expression full of hope.

“Am I-” Cyrus stuttered. He inhaled, regaining composure. “The night of the storm… you asked if I even liked you.” TJ nodded, his heart rate steadily increasing. “And I couldn’t even believe you had to ask. It’s like, in that moment, I forgot that I had this new boyfriend. And I liked you _so much_,” TJ let out a shaky breath. “It was all I could think about. I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t obvious to you.”

“Well,” TJ spoke in a hushed tone, moving his fingers on top of Cyrus’, sending a whisper of warmth up his arm. “I just… wanted to be sure.”

“Am I… coming out of left field, here?” Cyrus looked nervously at TJ, his palms sweating. “A lot has gone down since the storm.” He bit his lip, looking away and then back again. “I know you said you liked me the other night, but… do you still… maybe... wanna be with me?”

“Yes!” TJ exclaimed, louder and faster than intended, startling a laugh out of Cyrus. 

“Really?” Cyrus bit his lip, his smile wide and his cheeks full.

“Definitely.” TJ finally covered Cyrus’ hand completely with his own, letting their fingers perfectly slide together. They laughed breathily, full of happiness. Then he remembered his anxieties from earlier. “Wait,” he interrupted their moment, making Cyrus look at him fearfully. “Are you, like, sure you wanna be with me?” Cyrus titled his head in confusion. “I know Reed’s the worst, and you _better_ not forgive that guy,” Cyrus laughed. “But are you sure there isn’t some part of you that still… _loves_ him?”

Cyrus sighed, smiling. “Teej, Reed is just some guy who I _thought_ I was in love with, when I was a _kid_. He was a stupid middle school crush. Everything felt like love back then, even when he didn’t give me the time of day.” He eased closer to TJ, moving their hands in front of them and leaning their shoulders against each other. “But now I’m older… And I’m here with you.” He gave TJ a kiss on the cheek, making his face simmer with heat. “And I’m happy. Like, I’m _really_ happy.” He spoke emphatically and TJ nodded, still smiling from the small display of affection. “Are you really worried about that?” Cyrus looked at him with concern.

“I’ll be honest,” he began, recounting his earlier discussion. “Kira said some stuff earlier that scared the shit outta me.” Cyrus whispered ‘oh’, understandingly. “Stuff about you, and Reed, and how he would always be your first. About how I’d never know my place”

Cyrus smiled at him, moving in closer. “Teej, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Kira has been trying to mess with us since we got here.”

“She has?”

“Yes!” Cyrus laughed.

“You sure it isn’t just Buffy being paranoid?”

“Sure,” Cyrus nodded, pursing his lips. “Buffy can get a little worried, and it can mess with her head, but any paranoia she has with Kira is _not_ misplaced.” TJ made a ‘huh’ sound as he contemplated this. “I’m pretty sure she’s the one that called Reed and told him to come down here.”

“You’re kidding!” Cyrus shook his head. TJ let out a sigh, knowing he had given his trust to someone who didn’t deserve it.

“You don’t have to worry about your place,” Cyrus continued. “Or Reed, or any of that. He has no place in my life. You have my word.”

“Thanks.” They smiled at each other. 

“And thank you for _actually_ talking to me about what Kira said, instead of just assuming it was true. It’s nice to be with a guy who doesn’t lie, for once.”

“Be with?” TJ smirked.

“Yeah…” Cyrus looked up at him with wide nervous eyes, anxiously chewing his lip. “I know I messed up, but… Is that offer still on the table?”

TJ looked at him in disbelief. “Cyrus, I like you _so_ much. It was _never_ off the table.” They gazed at each other fondly, soaking in each other’s sweetness, before TJ interrupted: “Oh, and by the way, middle school crushes are _not_ stupid,” Cyrus furrowed his brows and smiled amusedly at TJ’s comment, so he elaborated. “I had a crush on _you_ in middle school.”

“No way!” Cyrus exclaimed and TJ nodded emphatically. “That’s crazy! How didn’t I know that?”

“You were probably too caught up with _Doctor_ Reed.” Cyrus rolled his eyes.

“Maybe so. But also, you were _scary_ in middle.”

TJ scoffed, but he knew Cyrus was right. He looked at him softly. “Well, at least we’re together now.” He traced Cyrus’ fingers up and down, with his own.

“Still,” Cyrus replied, looking slightly guilty. “I should’ve called it quits earlier. I’ve liked you since, like, the _bus_. Maybe even before that.” He smiled sadly. “We could’ve been together this whole time”

“It’s fine.” TJ whispered, shaking his head. “You were worth the wait.”

“So were you. And I don’t just mean tonight.”

They sat in silence, the many lost years lingering between them. All the longing glances, from across the hall. The times they would brush shoulders, both feeling electricity that they assumed was one-sided. Their stupid middle school crushes, that were supposed to mean nothing, ended up meaning something.

Meanwhile at the pool, Buffy and Marty sat shivering on the edge of parallel loungers, the cool glow of the pool as their only light in the dark. Buffy was bundled up in a ball, her knees up to her chest, a towel wrapped tightly around her. Marty was turned towards her, his towel draping over his shoulders, waiting for her to talk. 

She glanced up at him, with apologetic eyes, before speaking softly: “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologise,” he assured. Marty looked at her soft expression, and wondered how much was lurking beneath the surface that she wasn’t telling him about. “Are you okay, though?”

Buffy shrugged, so he offered an option: “Is it… your mom?” She shook her head. “Is it the competition?” She paused for a moment. Then shrugged, fidgeting with her towel.

“Kinda,” she began. “It’s like… With cheering, I’m doing this thing. This thing that I _can_ do. And I’m _good_ at it, and I _want_ to be good at it.” The talk of success in her field made her talk passionately, gesturing around her. “I want to win the competitions, and show my strength, and beat Kira.” Then the passion dropped, her shoulders sagging. “I don’t know, I guess I wanna prove something…” She inhaled. “Like, that I’m not weak. I can’t be pushed around anymore. I _can_ do the shit I set my mind to.”

“And you _can_-”

“But I don’t care about cheering.”

_What?_

“What?” For a moment, Marty was stunned into silence. Buffy looked down, ashamed. “Since when?”

“Like… Forever.” Her voice sounded hurt and she continued to stare at a spot on the floor. “I’m not _’super into cheering.’_” Buffy mimicked Andi’s words from the bus, but they came out like whimpers. “I enjoy winning. And making my parents happy. And my squad happy. And I like working towards a goal.” Mart nodded. “And I appreciate the… merit that goes into cheering. It’s _hard_ work. Some of the girls, like Amber, have been working on their cheering since they could walk. They _love_ it.” She looked up at Marty, sighing. “I… don’t.”

“So why do it? Why _captain_ the Tigers.”

“This isn’t about the Tigers,” she said firmly. “I love the Tigers; they’re like family to me. But cheering just… isn’t for me. And I’m working so hard to win and putting you guys through _excruciating_ training-”

“It’s not that bad!”

“-And for what?” She continued pensively. “So I can win at something I don’t even like?” 

“You really don’t like it?”

“The cheering itself?” Marty nodded. “Not really.”

“Then quit.” Marty gave a simple smile, but she looked at him like he had lost his mind.

“I can’t! Not before competition. We might _actually_ stand a chance of winning this year. I can’t screw that up for them. They’ve worked too hard.” She relaxed, settling down and continuing in a softer tone. “I just hate pretending. All the yelling and the captain-ing I do… it’s exhausting. And it’s all for something I don’t like. It just feels like I’m playing a role, y’know? Or, like, I’m trying to prove something. To myself. To Kira. To TJ, for stopping me from playing basketball. To my mom, for constantly leaving.”

“But, what do you have to prove?”

“That I’m strong,” she pursed her lips, her voice slightly broken. She mustered a teary-eyed smile. “But I’m not.” She shrugged.

“Buffy, you don’t have to pretend. Screw what other people expect. You _are_ strong. You don’t always have to be, but you are. You don’t have to prove _anything_.”

“I could say the same about you.”

Marty laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean? We’re talking about _you_ here.”

“I know. But, I just wanna know…” Buffy paused. “That shit that you pull: the flirting, the jokes, the stupid class clown bullshit-”

“You don’t like that?”

“I like it! Most of it. But is it real?” She seemed honestly curious, this distracting her from her own problems.

Marty shrugged. “I mean, kinda. I don’t say shit I don’t mean. I really _am_ funny, Buffy, that’s not just something I do to impress you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ha-ha.”

He smiled at her, but decided to be honest. It was only fair. “But also… I guess it is kind of an act.” Buffy leaned over curiously. “I know I’m over the top with my dumb shit sometimes. And I know it can annoy people, or it can make them laugh, but either way: I’m the funny guy.” 

Marty wanted to tell Buffy everything. He wanted to go on and on about how he found refuge in absurdity, and how much relief it brings him to be in a crowded space full of laughter, so he always had to be the loudest person in the room. He wanted to tell her about his secret belief that if he told enough jokes, and caused enough chaos, then people wouldn’t notice that he was the odd one out. He wanted to tell her that he acted dumb, so that no one would question his belonging.

But instead he went with: “Funny guy is a label that I can get behind.”

“Hm.” Buffy nodded. “So you act like a douchebag so people think of you as funny?” Marty nodded. “That’s kinda like me, I guess. I act like a bitch so people will think I’m strong.”

“You’re not a bitch.” He waved a hand of dismissal, shaking his head. “And it’s not just that. It’s… it’s like distracting people. Like if I do enough dumb shit, maybe they’ll only think of me as dumb. They won’t think of me as anything else.” Buffy looked confused, but kept silent and waited for him to continue. “And then there’s the girls and the flirting, and all that shit. The constant jumping from girl to girl. And they’re _great_, don’t get me wrong. But, like you said… I think I’m just tryna prove something.”

“Are you not…” Buffy spoke quietly, her voice sounding suddenly sad and cracking slightly. “Are you not into… girls?” 

“No, no, I am. I _definitely_ am,” he said with a comical grin, making Buffy laugh. Then he cleared his throat, his face falling back into seriousness. “It’s more like… In my head, it’s like…” He shifted in his seat and turned to Buffy, their knees pointed towards each other and their heads leaning inwards. “It’s like, if I can get with all these girls, and I can get them to like me and see me as this cool, popular guy… And I can joke around with the guys, and talk to them _about_ the girls and they can see me as this player and this _funny guy_... then I can…” He stopped talking. He lost his train of thought and was unable to find the words to explain the way he was feeling to the girl in front of him.

“Is this like a... toxic masculinity thing?” They both laughed at the buzzword. 

“I mean, sorta,” he shrugged, still laughing, but then he went quiet again. “But also, it’s not that simple.”

Buffy leaned forward, cupping Marty’s hands with her own. “You can tell me.”

He looked up at her. Her eyes were so genuine and so understanding that he believed her. She was probably the first person, since TJ, that he felt he could tell his stuff to.

“But what about _you?_” Marty asked, not wanting to be selfish with his own bullshit. “What about your cheerleader stuff? And what happened in the pool?” 

He turned his face to the pool, but Buffy reached out and softly guided his cheek back to where it was, so he was back to looking her head on. “I’m in a bad place. I’m stressed out. But I’ll be fine. I’m probably not gonna cheer after this summer. And, let’s not forget, you _saved_ me, Marty.”

Marty inhaled shakily. _’Am I really gonna do this?’_

“Okay,” he began, trying to still his nerves. Buffy leaned in intently. “Since I was a kid, I’ve seen the shit that guys do, and its _totally_ different from girl stuff. I don’t know why, but it just is. Like, to be a guy, you have to loud and violent and play basketball or football. And you have to sleep with a bunch of girls and you can’t take anything too seriously.” Buffy nodded, comfortingly squeezing Marty’s hands.“So, when I do all this bullshit, all the flirting and the yelling and the messing around, it’s like I’m playing a role for everyone. It’s like I’m trying to prove to them that I’m as much of a guy as they are. If not _more_.” Marty swallowed, looking away from Buffy’s eyes and at their intertwined fingers. “It’s like I’m tryna distract them from the fact that I’m trans.”

Marty knew that was a big bomb to drop and he could have waited for Buffy to respond. However, he was still too nervous to see the expression on her face, so he looked down and kept talking. Ironically, even in his coming out he was trying to distract from the fact he was trans.

He continued: “I’ve been in your position- with the whole basketball thing. When I was in middle school, I just wanted to prove that everyone that I could be like the guys in the movies. So I tried out for the boys’ basketball team. And I wasn’t _great_, but I wasn’t bad either. But that didn’t matter; they weren’t gonna take me either way. They had known me for years, there was no way they were letting me on the guys’ team. Some of them still called me the wrong name, or told me to scram when I was in the guys’ bathroom. And I was already mad about how my body looked and my brain worked, so getting shit at school didn’t exactly help.” He paused, letting the traumatic middle school memories wash over him like water. “Anyway, my mom got all pissy about it. Started saying shit about ‘discrimination’ and suin’ the fuckin school. It was _bizarre_.” He nodded slowly, eyes wide, still not making eye contact. “So we moved to Shadyside. And now _everyone_ calls me Marty, and I don’t take shit from _anyone_. And everyone thinks I’m a player, or a jock, or a funny guy, but, y’know what? Maybe, that’s how I like it.”

Marty kept his eyes down. He was currently in a state of limbo, like the uncertain bliss of the underwater. But if he never came up, he would drown, so he needed to face the music. He looked up at Buffy, ready for pity, or distress, or awkwardness. But instead, she was smiling. It was a gross, snotty, teary eyed smile, but a happy smile nonetheless.

“Why are you smiling, you weirdo?” Marty laughed, and Buffy laughed with him. She brought one of her hands up, wiping her eyes and nose.

“Sorry,” she said emotionally. “I’m just really happy.”

“What?” Marty laughed, incredulously. “You _are_? Why?”

Buffy shrugged, her eyes tearing up again. “I’m just really proud of you.” Marty laughed again, but it was breathy and full of happy tears. “And I know- I know this probably isn’t how I should be acting. I should probably be all: _Whatever, it’s no big deal, forget about it!_” Buffy said that with her best ‘cool guy’ impersonation, pouting her lips and squinting her eyes. “But for a guy who talks a lot, you don’t really talk about _yourself_ a lot.”

“Stop roasting me, you dick; I just came out!”

Buffy laughed, playfully pushing his shoulder. She moved across, now sitting beside him on his lounger. She continued to hold his hands in her own, liking how perfectly they fit together. She looked up at him and spoke again: “I can’t believe you trust me that much. I mean, of course, you _can_ trust me- and thank you for trusting me.” She paused, smiling. “I just feel really lucky. I’m so glad I met you.” Marty stroked a hand down Buffy’s cheek tenderly, before moving it down her neck and putting his arm around her. “I know, at the beginning, I might have been against you joining the squad-”

“Yes, I believe you called my friend TJ a _bone-head_? Does that sound familiar to you?”

She laughed, leaning her head back into his shoulder. “Hey! I’m trying to apologise here!”

“No need.” He looked down at her, making eye contact again. “Apology accepted. And I’m glad I met you, too.”

They held loving eye contact for a moment, which they were unable to tear away from. 

Everything was quiet, they were both happy, and they were barely an inch apart. He wouldn’t say it out loud, because he isn’t entirely sure what love is, but, in that moment, he was sure he loved her. He let himself be vulnerable around her; that had to count for something. His heart beat was racing, his cheeks blushing furiously, and he was about to begin to move in and kiss her. But he heard a sharp inhale come from Buffy and saw her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

“Huh? Are you okay?” he asked, concerned. “Did I- did I do something wrong?”

“No, no, no. You’re perfect.” Her voice was shaky, like she could topple at any moment. She hesitated. “It’s just…”

“It’s just…?”

Buffy’s eyes were wet and words came out croaky. “I’m scared.”

Marty’s face fell. “Of me?”

“No! Not you. Well, kind of, but…” Buffy’s eyes roamed his face, not making eye contact for a minute.

“What is it?”

She swallowed, letting a tear roll down her face. “No one’s ever looked at me the way you just did.” Marty stared at her, overwhelmed and teary eyed. He wiped her cheek and they smiled at each other. “I know I’ve been holding back, but there’s _a lot_ going on. And I was always afraid you were gonna ditch me for some other girl, and I was gonna be left feeling shitty. Cyrus would probably blame it on some psychology thing; like my mom keeps leaving, so now I’m afraid everyone else is gonna leave.” She rolled her eyes, but reverted her gaze back to the boy in front of her. “But I don’t wanna hold back anymore. I want you to be my boyfriend. My first boyfriend.”

Marty’s eyes went wide at that last sentence and his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape. “Your _WHAT?_”

“Marty!” she whined.

“_The_ Buffy Driscoll, has never had a boyfriend?” Marty playfully wrapped his arms around her, pulling them both down onto the lounger, as she giggled and he continued to tease. “Am I hearing correctly?”

“Shut up! Is that a yes, or what?”

Marty scrunched up his face and shook his head. “Nah. No way. I don’t want a super hot, cool, basketball star girlfriend. You’d have to pay me.” Buffy gave him a deadpan look, and he laughed. “I’m kidding Driscoll. Of course, I’m kidding.”

Marty returned to the bunks first, with slightly damp hair. TJ returned after Marty had already gone to bed. TJ and Cyrus had sat around talking for a while about cheerleader-y things and non-cheerleader-y things. At one point, TJ mentioned that he couldn’t do a backflip. Cyrus said that wasn’t true, because Amber had shown him a video of him and Marty doing backflips into the pool, so TJ corrected himself: he couldn’t do a _double_ backflip. He said he was too worried about falling and breaking his back, or some shit. So, Cyrus did what any good boyfriend would do and pulled out the rest of the mats for them to practice on. They spent a good half an hour practicing, but without the pressure of the competition looming over their shoulders. 

Eventually, TJ did a _triple_ backflip. Not a double, but a _triple_. They yelled and cheered and hugged. Cyrus clapped his praise and TJ said he didn’t even realise he was doing it. Cyrus was always helping him, and the results were even better than TJ expected. Cyrus brought out the best in him. He wanted nothing more than for him to stick around, for as long as possible.

After tiring themselves out, Cyrus told TJ that he had agreed to sleep over in girls’ bunk. They went their separate ways, TJ giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before walking back to his own bunk. Inside, the room was dark and filled with quiet snores. It was mostly clean, apart from TJ and Marty’s areas, which had gone to shit. TJ quickly slipped out of his clothes and collapsed into his bed, already struggling to keep his eyes open.

“Hey,” Marty whispered from his bed, making TJ look over. “Good night?”

TJ laughed breathily. “Yeah. Yours?”

“Yeah.” They paused, both thinking the same thing. “Hey, Teej?”

“Yeah, Party?”

“We’re not leaving tomorrow, right?”

TJ smiled. “No fuckin' way.”

The following morning, TJ and Marty could barely get the smiles off their faces. With no looming expiration date for his relationship with Buffy, Marty felt a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. TJ teased him all through breakfast, but he got shit right back for the red hue that coated his cheeks and ears anytime Cyrus’ name was mentioned. They teased each other and messed with each other, without a care in the world. 

When they returned to their bunks, to grab some stuff for warm ups, they barely even noticed that Jonah had cleaned up their messes. TJ reminded himself to say thank you later, but he was so caught up in the memories of last night that he knew he wouldn’t remember.

TJ and Marty ran to the middle of the field for warm ups, hoping to catch up with Buffy and Cyrus. They raced each other, kicking their ankles jokingly, just like the first day of camp. Soon, they caught the backs of the people they were looking for: a short, brunette cheerleader, and his tall, curly-haired best friend. But there was someone else with them too. Someone talking to the both of them, while the rest of the Tigers were scattered around, close by. 

When TJ saw Doctor Reed he couldn’t stop the sound of disgust that came out of his mouth. He whispered to Marty: “I thought we got rid of this guy.” Marty shrugged, knowing just as little as TJ did.

Then they both started to notice the facial expressions of their teammates. Natalie looked torn up. Iris, who was comforting her, looked confused. Andi, who was sitting down in the grass, looked defeated. Marty was grateful that Buffy had her back to him; he couldn’t stand to see her sad again. 

TJ walked up to an angry-looking Amber, getting her attention and speaking to her in a quiet voice: “Hey, why’s Reed back? Do you know what’s going on?”

Amber ignored him, her eyes full of fury, and spat her next words: “You and Marty were gonna fucking _leave_ us?”

Amber’s loud voice alerted Cyrus, Buffy and Reed, pulling their attention to TJ and Marty. Reed looked at them smugly, while Buffy and Cyrus’ faces were full of heartbreak and betrayal. 

It was as if everything that TJ and Marty had built for themselves, on the night previous, had just been ripped right out from underneath them by the cruel hand of fate. Or the cruel hand of Reed. 

Either way, they were done.


	18. Risk It To Get The Biscuit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ and Marty try to explain themselves to the Tigers. A surprise visitor makes an appearance.

For a moment they all stood and stared at each other. Amber was fuming, as she gestured with wild eyes for TJ to answer her question: _“You and Marty were gonna fucking leave us?”_

The Tigers, who were either seething with rage or crumbling from betrayal, waited for TJ and Marty’s explanation with bated breath. But they had nothing. They were both too shocked and too ashamed to have anything useful to say, so they just stood there like idiots. TJ stared at Cyrus, using his eyes to plead for forgiveness. Cyrus was staring right back, but he looked too broken to understand what TJ was trying to communicate. Marty and Buffy were also making eye contact, but Marty knew better than to try and make Buffy forgive him with his eyes; she was too stubborn and strong willed. And she just found out that the person she _finally_ let her walls down for, was planning on leaving the entire time.

Reed was also staring at them but he didn’t look angry or sad; he looked pretty fucking stoked, for someone who just got dumped. “You should see your face right now, bro,” he commented, looking amusedly at TJ.

Just looking at Reed’s stupid face was pissing TJ off, so, in lieu of an explanation for Amber, he just asked: “Why is _he_ here?”

Amber scoffed. Reed looked happy to explain: “I had to come back. I couldn’t let my Tigers be messed around by a couple of frauds.”

“_Your_ Tigers?” TJ spat. “You don’t even like us.”

“Us?” Buffy stepped forward, walking past Amber, challenging the two boys. “What, so you guys are Tigers, now? Then _why_ do you have these?” Buffy produced the two bus tickets. Just seeing them made Cyrus wince from where he stood behind her. She waved the tickets with a sarcastic smile in front of their faces, before dropping her arm and letting her face fall. 

TJ sighed, looking down and whispering “Dammit.” They had been caught. There was no coming back from this.

Buffy turned her attention to Marty, her face red and her eyes teary. “You were gonna leave us?” She tilted her head, her voice extremely strained.

Marty looked guiltily at Buffy. “Well, we were gonna...” Buffy scoffed. “But we _didn’t!_ And I got those tickets way before you and I ever-”

“You were gonna do this to the squad?” Buffy interrupted. “After you _promised_ me?”

“Buffy, I know how it looks-”

“I can’t believe you,” Buffy folded her arms and raised her voice, trying to let her anger mask her hurt. “I knew you were here to get girls,” She sighed. “But I thought you were really starting to get into it.”

“I did get into it!” Marty exclaimed. “It started off about getting girls, but it became about getting _you_!” Buffy recoiled with shock and disgust, stepping further away from the pair. Amber and Andi came to her side, comforting her while giving Marty and TJ angry looks. Reed, in the background, was relishing in every moment. Marty tried to backtrack and defend himself. “Wait, that didn’t sound right!”

“No, that sounds exactly right.” Buffy shook her head at Marty. 

TJ could tell Marty was just digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole, so he sharply whispered: “Bail, brother. _Bail_.” Marty pushed past him, ignoring his advice, and came closer to Buffy, still receiving dirty looks from the rest of the Tigers.

“Buffy,” he began, sounding desperate. “I know this looks bad,” Buffy nodded, looking away from him. “But we can’t just throw everything away over this. I _really_ like you.” Buffy kept her eyes on her shoes, willing herself not to cry.

Suddenly, Cyrus stepped forward, looking a lot braver than he had looked previously. “This is how you show someone you like them, Marty?” He looked angrily at Marty, but then switched his gaze over to TJ. “By _lying_ to them?” TJ inhaled deeply, taking in Cyrus’ angry stare, feeling shameful.

Reed stepped forward, shaking his head and tutting. He had two guys on either side of him: one an older blonde, the other a brunette with shaggy hair. “Just awful, Cyrus,” Reed remarked.

“Animals,” the brunette agreed, nodding and smirking. TJ and Marty looked at them with confused frustration.

“Who the _fuck_ even _are_ you?” TJ asked the brunette loudly.

Doctor Reed ignored TJ, but kept his eyes on him, flexing his knuckles. “If these weren’t tools for healing,” he said, referring to his hands. “I would crack you in the jaw.”

“You’re a tool for healing.”

Reed looked angry, but the older blonde put a hand on his shoulder and pointed towards TJ. “Oh, that’s right!” he exclaimed. “This is the guy who’s fancy with his words!” Reed and the brunette smiled knowingly at this comment.

“Oh, yeah!” Reed supported. “You’re the _words_ guy, right?”

TJ shrugged, looking around incredulously. “The fuck does that mean?” He laughed, not threatened by the older boys.

“You don’t understand?” Reed asked, with a sarcastic baby voice. TJ shook his head tiredly. “Well, why don’t I help you out with a little reading of your _diary_.” Reed produced a small blue book from seemingly nowhere. TJ wasn’t laughing anymore.

“Your diary?” Marty whispered to him, confused. TJ ignored him, focused on Reed and the book in his hand.

“Where’d you get that?” He asked, his voice fearful and deadpan.

Right on cue, Jonah Beck sprinted into view, wheezing as he shouted towards the group, with panic in his eyes. “I’ve done a bad thing! I did a bad thing! I’m so sorry!” Jonah ran to the centre of the group, the cheerleaders forming a circle around him. “I’m so sorry!” he pled to TJ and Marty. “He tricked me!” He pointed to Reed. “You tricked me!” Reed gasped with faux offence. Jonah went back to facing TJ and Marty, his hands on his knees as he wheezed from exhaustion. “Here’s how it happened.” All of the cheerleaders looked stunned, and leaned in to hear his explanation, but all that came out was more wheezing.

”_JONAH!_” TJ yelled, tired of waiting. Jonah stood straight again, ready to explain.

“He said he wanted to leave you guys a note,” Jonah explained, tiredly. “So I let him in. He must’ve seen your stuff on the couch and taken it.”

“Why was it on the _couch_? We left our stuff under our _beds_.”

“Because I was cleaning up your mess!” Jonah raised his voice, waving his arms around. “I told you I can’t stand clutter. I warned you!”

TJ rolled his eyes, stepping towards Reed with determination. “Alright, you’ve had your fun. Now gimme the book back.” He reached out to grab it, but the two other boys blocked him, as Reed opened the book.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat loudly. “_Cheer camp, day one. The sun rises in the summer sky, like Rembrandt's brush on a dogwood branch._” As he read, TJ’s face burned with humiliation. Marty and the Tigers all gave TJ confused looks, as if to say ‘TJ, what the fuck? _You_ wrote that?’. Reed and his friends snickered at every word, only adding to the embarrassment. 

TJ tried again, stepping forward angrily, but he was blocked by the taller blonde. “Back up, Shakespeare,” he mocked, pushing TJ back.

Reed continued: “_And thereby… Cyrus._” Reed raised his eyebrows, smiling. Cyrus looked up at TJ, a soft gasp escaping him, and something like hope filled his eyes. TJ suddenly moved faster, trying more ferociously to get the book back. The two other boys held him back, as he reached out, clawing at the book in Reed’s hands like a rabid dog. “_I lie awake thinking, will I ever say ‘Cyrus’, as a whisper in an ear?_” The cheerleaders listened to the poetry in shock. Most of them didn’t even know TJ wasn’t straight. Marty decided to help end TJ’s embarrassment, shoving the two boys away from his best friend. TJ leaped out of their grasp, chasing Reed, as he read louder. “_Will he ever say ‘I love you’, in a moment with a tear?_” 

TJ was finally able to snatch the book from Reed, but it didn’t matter. Reed’s smug laughter was ugly and proud. “Thanks for that, asshole,” TJ said, folding his arms over the book. Cyrus was still staring at him, looking conflicted. Like he was holding back a smile. Like he might just forgive TJ.

“So, we can learn a lot from that!” Reed announced, gesturing towards the book in TJ’s hands. “Not only are you gay and pretentious as shit,” him and his friends laughed. “But you’re also into guys with boyfriends.”

“That’s not-” TJ attempted to defend himself.

“Because,” Reed interrupted. “Me and Cycicle, over here, have been dating since we were kids. That is until _you_ show up.” TJ swallowed, making eye contact with Cyrus. “And you win him over with your _words_, that don’t actually mean shit because you were planning on leaving him today.” Reed says the last part of that sentence like it’s hilarious. Like all of this is just some big joke. The hope that filled Cyrus’ eyes drained, and he looked back down at the ground, forgiveness no longer on the table. 

TJ opened and closed his mouth stupidly, as if he was searching for the right thing to say. Marty stepped forward and defended him: “Cyrus, don’t listen to him, alright? Yeah, he wanted to leave, but it was _my_ idea. I bought the tickets.”

“Oh, you did?” Buffy asked loudly, making Marty realise he just made the situation even _worse_ for himself. “Good to know, Marty. That’s real nice.”

“But I didn’t wanna leave!” Marty defended, turning to Buffy. “I got into it! It was TJ who wanted to go!”

“Thanks, man.” TJ looked at him with a deadpan expression. 

Marty looked back and forth between his best friend and the girl he liked. He rushed over to Buffy, giving himself one last shot.

“Buffy, I’m really sorry.” He was grasping at straws, at this point, and it was obvious by the way Buffy scoffed angrily at his apology. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Just leave,” Buffy said, her voice eerily calm and firm. She still had tears in her eyes, as she stared Marty down. “Just leave, like you always planned on doing.”

The Tigers walked away, comforting Buffy and Cyrus as they went. Cyrus spared one last sorrowful look back, at TJ, before walking away with Iris and Natalie. Reed and his cohorts gave TJ and Marty one last look, before saying “Later, highschool”, and proudly sauntering away. Jonah, who was for whatever reason still there, stood in shock beside the two boys.

“So,” Jonah began, uncomfortably. “What now?”

TJ, Marty and Jonah ended up taking the long trek to the bus stop and waiting there, for like an hour, in dead silence, for the bus to Shadyside to arrive. Jonah insisted on waiting with them, because he felt bad for messing with their stuff and letting Reed in. Marty tried to tell him that they weren’t upset, but TJ apparently _was_ upset, moodily claiming “It’s the least he could do.” Despite being a fair distance away from camp, the sound of the cheerleaders practicing their routines was audible from where they sat under the bus shelter. That sound had become so familiar to them, and so comforting, but now it was just depressing.

Marty finally broke the silence, turning to TJ and saying: “_Rembrant’s brush on a dogwood branch_?” He smiled at TJ, who was staring angrily ahead. 

“Shut up,” TJ replied. He was _not_ in the mood for having his own poetry recited back at him. Again.

“I’m not talking shit, man. I’m impressed.” Marty insisted, trying to cheer TJ up.

“Oh, yeah?” TJ continued to stare ahead, not making eye contact with Marty. “Great. My mission in life.”

“Cyrus looked impressed too.” TJ huffed at that, rolling his eyes. “Who knows? It might not be over between you two.”

“No, it’s… it’s over.” TJ looked dejectedly down at his hands. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the necklace he had gifted Cyrus. “I-uh- found this on my pillow, when we went back to get our stuff. Think it’s a pretty clear sign he’s done with me.” Marty frowned, as TJ stuffed the jewelry back in his pocket.

“Ouch,” was all Marty could supply.

“Yep.” TJ nodded. Then he turned to Marty, reverting back to anger. “I’m pissed at you, by the way.”

“Wow.” Marty almost laughed out loud. “You’re mad at me? What a shocker. What’d I do this time?” 

“_You_ got us involved in this mess. It was _your_ idea, so this was all _your_ fault.” Marty looked back at him with raised eyebrows. “You talk about karma, and all that shit. _This_ is karma in action, Marty.” He pointed an accusing finger in his best friends face. “This is _your_ karma, for sending us to cheer camp in the first place.”

“Okay, you wanna talk karma?” Marty challenged, shoving the finger out of his face. “Maybe this is _your_ karma. Maybe if you hadn’t been such an asshole to Buffy in middle school, she would’ve played ball instead of cheering.” TJ looked shocked at Marty, for even bringing up this topic. “Maybe if you weren’t such a dick she wouldn’t have hated ball players all through highschool, and we could’ve met her and Cyrus the _normal_ way.” TJ sighed, contemplating this. Marty continued: “But _noooo_, you had to be the worst! And if you _weren’t_ the worst, maybe you would be with Cyrus right now.”

“Guys,” Jonah interrupted, causing TJ and Marty to snap their heads in his direction. “Maybe this is just karma for not keeping your areas clean, like I asked.”

Marty and TJ both rolled their eyes at that, TJ saying: “Seriously, Jonah, I could not give less of a shit about that right now.”

They stewed in silence for a little longer, before Jonah said: “You guys are bumming me out. And I’m a _Virgo_.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” TJ whined.

“It means-” Marty started before TJ interrupted him.

“Tell me later. I’m too depressed for that bullshit, right now.”

“‘Kay.”

It was then that the bus pulled up. TJ and Marty stood up, their bags slung over their shoulders. Jonah gave each of them a hug, which they returned with as much of a smile as they could muster. TJ apologised for the whole room thing, and Jonah told him it was okay. Marty gave him a fist bump and promised that they would keep in touch. 

Jonah began his walk back to camp, as the door to the bus swung open. TJ and Marty stepped back to allow people off. The bus seemed unusually loud, young and chatty voices streaming through the door. A few silent adults and an old lady walked off the bus, before the source of the voices finally waltzed off the bus:

Christopher and the basketball team.

It was a strange sight. It was as if TJ and Marty had been living some kind of Hannah Montana-esque double life, at cheer camp, but now part of their home life was crossing over. Ten or so teenage boys piled off the bus, talking amongst themselves with big grins on their faces. Christopher was standing ahead of all of them, taking in TJ and Marty’s wide-eyed stares. The bus pulled away, without TJ and Marty, as they were too stunned to remember to catch it. _’Oh, well,’_ TJ thought. _’We’ll get the next one.’_

“Hey guys!” Chris greeted, his eyes crinkling with his charismatic smile. He stretched his arms out, bringing his two teammates in for a hug, which they accepted, while exchanging strange looks with each other over Chris’ shoulders. When he pulled away, the estranged looks remained branded on their faces. “What are you doin here? You waitin for us?”

“What are _we_ doing here?” TJ laughing.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Marty asked Chris. Chris looked from side to side, gesturing around him, like the answer was obvious.

“We’re here for the cheer tournament? The one you guys are performing at?” The rest of the team shared murmured laughs, a few saying ‘duh’.

“What?” TJ asked, him and Marty looking dumbfounded. “How did you know about that?”

“Yeah,” Marty joined TJ in his confused questioning. “How did you guys even know we were here?”

“Some girl told us. One of the other cheerleaders, I guess.”

“Yeah,” another teammate supported, from behind Chris. “She sent us pictures of you guys doing your routines.” The rest of the team murmured their affirmative. _’Probably Kira,’_ TJ thought. He and Marty shifted uncomfortably, feeling much smaller after having their cheerleading exploits exposed. TJ worried that the boys would suspect that he was gay, because of this. Marty worried that he would be seen as less of a man, for enjoying cheering (maybe even more than he enjoys basketball).

“Guys, I’m gonna be honest with you.” Christopher stepped closer, looking back and forth between the two boys who seemed so shy about how they had spent the past two weeks. He smiled at them, speaking quietly and honestly: “You guys look _sick_ out there.”

The boys lifted their heads, looking at Chris hopefully. “Sick? Sick, like good?” TJ asked, frantically.

“Yeah, sick like good, dumbass.” Chris fondly shoved TJ’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell us about this, man?” The two boys laughed, feeling extremely relieved.

“We didn’t really take it seriously, at first,” Marty explained. He gestured to himself. “I just wanted to meet girls, y’know?”

“Yeah, we all kinda guessed that, Party.” Chris chuckled and the rest of the team joined him. Marty smiled with them, but then his face went serious.

“But these girls…” Marty felt sentimental as he thought about his newfound friends. “They’re like my _friends_ now.”

Chris looked shocked at this. “You serious?” he asked.

“Yeah. They’re super nice. They’re so friendly, and funny, and they do _not_ mess around with this cheering shit.”

“Yeah,” TJ nodded in agreement. “And they’re so cool; they don’t take shit from anyone. The Panthers have been givin them grief for years, but they still come back and face them. Every year.” Christopher nodded his head in admiration. TJ and Marty looked at each other, any trace of anger being replaced with solidarity, for how much they care about the friends they’ve made. 

“Wow,” Chris commented, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “They sound cool, guys.”

TJ and Marty nodded. “Yeah,” Marty agreed. “We gotta all hang out together, sometime. Our team, with theirs, y’know?”

“Sounds good to me.” Chris smiled, as the rest of the team gave an ‘mhmm’. Then he changed the topic: “So, you guys didn’t know we were coming?” TJ and Marty shook their heads. “Well, what are you doing here then?”

Marty and TJ looked at each other, their smiles turning to dismay. “We’re heading home.” TJ sighed, remembering the situation that they were in. “Buffy asked us to leave.”

“Whoa. That’s crazy.” TJ and Marty shrugged at Chris’ remark. “How come?”

TJ tilted his head, winced at the memory of what they did, and explained: “They sorta found out-”

“From this _jackass_ Doctor Reed,” Marty interrupted. TJ continued to talk in Chris’ direction, as Marty intervened where he thought necessary.

“-that we had bus tickets-”

“Which I bought.”

“-so we could ditch, today-”

“The day before competition.”

“-and come to your cabin party-”

“But we totally regret it now.”

“Totally.”

Chris and the team were silent for a moment, looking at TJ and Marty like they were a whole other species. “You were gonna ditch the big competition… for one of my parties?” Chris asked incredulously.

Marty huffed. “Well, when you say it like that it sounds stupid.”

“Guys, I have parties _all the time_. This competition is way more important.” The team, behind him, nodded and murmured in agreement.

“Yeah, we know!” “Obviously.” Marty and TJ spoke at the same time.

“So you wanna go back?”

“Of course!” “No doubt.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Go back!”

“Yeah!” the team said in unison, the volume making TJ and Marty step back in shock.

They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They couldn’t just go back… right? Marty looked back at the team, who were staring at him with anticipation. “Guys,” he said hopelessly. “Buffy kicked us out. We can’t just go back.”

“I don’t think you get it,” TJ said, nodding. “They hate us! What are we supposed to do?”

Chris shook his head and smiled a carefree smile. “Have a little faith, guys. There’s no way they _hate_ you.” 

“No,” Marty said nervously. “They definitely do.”

“Marty, are you for real?” he raised his hands in question, shaking his head in disbelief. “What’s with this attitude? Where’s the cocky prick I know and love?” Marty and TJ laughed. “It’s not too late, guys. You gotta risk it to get the biscuit.”

He walked forward and wrapped his arms around them again. TJ and Marty were getting a _lot_ of hugs today, but they weren’t complaining. They really needed them. Chris spoke again, mid-embrace: “Competition is tomorrow. You guys are a key part of that routine. Right now is when they need you the most.” He pulled away, but placed a firm, reassuring hand on both of their shoulders. “If you leave today, you’ll regret it.”

Marty and TJ nodded, as Chris pulled his hands away. “You’re right,” Marty said. He turned to TJ. “Teej, we can’t leave like this.”

“We won’t,” TJ said, sounding confident. “We’re staying right here. And we’re gonna cheer tomorrow.”

“Yeah?” Marty asked, smiling radiantly.

“Yeah.” TJ nodded. “Of course. We can’t _leave_. How are you supposed to get Buffy back, if she’s here and you’re all the way back at Shadyside?” Marty laughed, blushing shyly.

That startled a laugh out of Chris. “Holy, shit. You and _Driscoll_?”

Marty shrugged, smiling as he remembered the way Buffy looked at him the previous night. “Maybe. We’ll see,” he said, not wanting to get his hopes too high.

Chris nodded and smirked at his friend. “Alright, Party. Way to go.” A loud whistle suddenly sounded behind Chris. He turned to see his teammates had walked away and were gesturing behind them, towards the hotel they were going to be staying in. He nodded, saying he’ll be right there. He looked back at the two cheerleaders proudly. “You guys are gonna be great out there. Good luck.” He gave TJ one last slap on the shoulder for encouragement and bounded off to catch up with the other guys.

Marty turned to TJ, looking for some encouragement before they headed back into the belly of the beast. “So?” he said. He felt butterflies swirl around in his stomach, nervous about heading back to where they had just been exiled. TJ, knowing Marty needed reassurance that they would be okay, gave him a warm smile before he spoke again. 

“Come on, Party.” he said softly, turning back in the direction of camp. He patted his friend on the back. “Let’s go get fired up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating for a hot minute ive been sleeping. but im nearly done yay.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are super appreciated!! Pls!! I thrive on attention!!


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